I'm in Hell
by SLyTHeRiNz DiVaZ
Summary: Draco and Hermione "I'm in Hell...with only one bed in it." They thought *New Chapter 20 up*
1. I'm in Hell

A/N: This fic, is strictly here for no reason what so ever! ::shrugs:: Why am I writing this thing anyway!? Oh well, let's just see what chapter 1 turns out to be like and then maybe I'll know what I'm doing from there. If you decide to read this then tell me what you think will come out of this fic…that way at least one of us knows what the hell is going on!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter!

Credits: The amazingly talented J.K. Rowling of course!

Chapter 1: **I'm in Hell**

'Finally, seventh year has arrived. I can't believe it, I'm Head Girl and everything. Nothing can spoil this year for me, I'm sure whoever the Head Boy is is going to be someone I get along with already. I'm fully ready to tackle N.E.W.T's and I am ready to become a grown witch after the year is over and help with the upcoming war in anyway I can. I'm ready for everything, I'm ready to begin my last year, I'm ready to take my final tests and I'm ready to fight and die if I must…nothing will ruin what I have worked so hard for. There's Ron and Harry!'

Hermione broke out of her thoughts as she saw her two best friends Harry and Ron come through the invisible entrance into platform 9 ¾ along with Ginny.

"Enjoy this moment everyone, this'll be the last time we come to King's Cross as Hogwarts students." Ron said as he looked around the station as if for the first time.

Hermione and Harry took in the moment when the train whistle blew, they waved goodbye to Mr. And Mrs. Weasely and then sat into their little room.

'I made it, I'm Head Boy. After this I shall leave this miserable school for good and do what I was born to do, take down every witch and wizard that dare oppose Lord Voldemort. I am ready to fight after this year is over in the war and I am ready to kill all mudbloods that get in my way…hope Granger decides to get in my way so I can be rid of her filthy and vile presence forever. Nothing can spoil my future plans that I have worked hard to reach, nothing!'

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Eventually the Hogwarts express came into Hogsmeade station and Hermione as Head Girl headed to her carriage that was strictly meant only for the Head Girl and Boy. It was their jobs to be the first ones there to lead everyone to the Great Hall without problems. She reached the carriage first and waited slightly curious as to who the Head Boy would be. Suddenly she felt the carriage move slightly as the Head Boy entered the carriage, 'Platinum blonde hair!? No, it can't be!?'

He looked over as he sat down across from Hermione and for the first time looked at her…and they both could clearly see who the person in front of them was.

"Malfoy/Granger!?" They said each one saying the others name in utter shock and horror!

The door immediately closed after that, Hermione pulled at the door struggling to get it open, "No! This can't be! There's some sort of mistake!"

Draco glanced at Hermione struggling to get the door free, he didn't bother making it obvious that she wouldn't open the door for he was simply to upset. 

'The mudblood is Head Girl! This is ridiculous! No, the world has gone mad!' He thought as he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes wishing the world away in horror.

'No this can't be! How could Dumbledore make Malfoy Head Boy? What on earth was he thinking! It was bad enough he was a prefect, but Head Boy now too! I won't stand for this!'

Draco got annoyed as he heard Hermione struggling to open the door, "Will you come off it! It won't bloody open till we get to Hogwarts!" he shouted in irritation.

Hermione stopped and glared at him with fiery eyes, "Don't tell me what to do Malfoy! I'd rather fall out of the carriage then ride in it with you!"

Draco glared at her, "Well since we both want the same thing I'll gladly shove you out the window!"

"God I hate you!" She shouted throwing a left over chocolate frog at Draco he ducked just in time.

"Not as much as I hate you mudblood!" He shouted back.

Suddenly the carriage stopped for they had already arrived in front of Hogwarts, the door swung open and Hermione and Draco both raced to get out, they got stuck trying to both squeeze through the door.

"Get away ferret!" Hermione shouted as she hit Draco's back hard enough that he fell out of the door and onto the ground. Hermione smirked and gracefully got out of the carriage.

Draco got up and spun around at her in fury holding his wand out at her, Hermione already had hers pointed at him as well, "You'll regret that mudblood!"

"Just try and curse me Malfoy, I dare say I'll get you before you get me!"

"Silence!" A voice thundered, Hermione and Draco froze as they saw Dumbledore walk gently over to them, "Is there a problem?"

Draco and Hermione glared at each other fiercely and then slowly put their wands down and away.

"No sir, no trouble." Hermione said with much effort as she looked away from Draco and towards Dumbledore.

"Good to hear, for as Head Boy and Girl you two should be setting examples for everyone else." He said softly looking back and forth from Draco to Hermione.

"Yes, sir." They both said looking at the ground.

"Your things have been brought to your room, so you need not worry about them. Simply proceed to the Great Hall." He said brightly.

'Did he say room, or rooms? Hermione thought suddenly.

What the bloody hell did that old git say? Room was it? Or rooms?' Draco thought angrily, hoping things wouldn't go from bad to worse.

"Headmaster, I'm sorry but did you say room or rooms?" Hermione asked slightly worried, hoping against everything that she had heard wrong.

Dimbledore smiled, "I said room, apparently we had a small accident in the Head Girl's room at the end of last year and the room is still being repaired. So the two of you shall share a room. As Head Boy and Girl I'm sure the two of you are more then mature and responsible enough to handle the situation."

'WHAT!?' They thought.

'Has the whole universe gone bloody mad! Me, share a room with the mudblood!? I'd rather share my room with a mountain troll!' Draco thought with a mortified expression.

'Share a room with Malfoy!?!?!?!?!?!? Noooo! I'd rather share my room with a mountain troll!!!!'

"Professor surely there are other rooms!" Draco insisted.

Dumbledore shook his head, "Afraid not Mr. Malfoy, you and Ms. Granger must share a room, I doubt it should be difficult even with only one bed."

Hermione and Draco did not know what to say as their looks of mortification increased and their faces grew pale, 'I'm in hell, with only one bed in it!'

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A/N: What am I doing? I have no idea…though this will be a long fic with a big plot. Obviously it all starts here…but I'll be evil and I may not make them fall in love while at Hogwarts, maybe I'll wait till they graduate? What do you guys think? Let me know!


	2. Room Race

A/N: Hey everyone thanks for the great reviews didn't think I would get so many either! Apparently everyone once the romance to happen before graduation sooooo…I'll think about! Muahahaha! Actually, I'm j/k I know what I'll do so no worries!

Disclaimer: Look at Chapter 1!

Credits: Look at Chapter 1!

Thanks too: Trojjer, Pannygirl, Autumn Malfoy, some13, wildchartermage, Junsui Chikyuu, Rosellen, Claire and tigeress7 for the great reviews!

Chapter 2:** Room Race**

Dumbledore smiled at the two pale and mortified teens, who had not said a word since Dumbledore told them that they would not only be sharing a room but a bed as well.

"Well, students will be here any moment, better get going to lead them to the Great Hall before the first years arrive." He said gesturing his hand towards the front of the school.

Hermione slowly walked towards the front of the school and Draco followed just as slowly if not slower.

'One minor set back…I won't let this affect my last year here, Malfoy will most certainly not make my last year here a horrid one, I swear on that!' Hermione thought as she took her place in front of the school doors as she saw the carriages arriving.

Draco stood across from her on the other side of the doors looking at the carriages arrive but thinking about something else, 'Father will not like this; oh to hell with father, I don't like this! Blast-Ended Skrewts would prove to be more suitable company than Granger! Dumbledore has lost the little marbles he had left!'

The seventh years arrived first and Hermione saw Harry, Ron, Dean, Neville and Seamus come out from a carriage together.

Harry spotted Hermione and headed over to her but not before noticing a very angry looking Malfoy across from her, "What's Malfoy doing here Hermione? Don't tell me he's Head Boy!?"

Ron came over and looked over at Draco with a curious face, "What's bothering Malfoy, I haven't seen him this angry since he was turned into a ferret."

Hermione suppressed the anger she was feeling and looked at her best friends with as cool a look as possible, "Yes, he's Head Boy."

"He doesn't seem too thrilled now does he?" Ron asked looking over at Malfoy again who was now talking with some fellow seventh year Slytherins.

Hermione shook her head and looked up at the sky still not believing her misfortune, "That's because there's more to it than that."

Ron and Harry raised curious brows up at her, "Like what?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head, "I'll tell you later, just get into the Great Hall."

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Once everyone was in the Great Hall Hermione took her place at the Gryffindor table across from Harry and Ron. Just then Professor McGonagall walked into the Hall with all the scared looking first years. Hermione looked at them with a grin, 'Oh how simple everything was back when I was in first year. Yet unfortunately Malfoy was always there from the beginning! Hope there are no boys like Malfoy in that lot for the sake of all the girls,' she thought as she glanced over at Draco quickly with a disapproving look, she then turned her attention towards the Sorting Hat.

Draco was trying to watch the Sorting ceremony but he was just too damn angry to really pay attention. 

'Of all the girls in the school, it had to be Granger! I'd rather share a bed with a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Look at those first years, how many are mudbloods? How many of those little girls are exactly like Granger? For the sake of those first year boys I hope there aren't any, lucky they should be so fortunate unlike myself.' Draco thought venomously as he glanced at Hermione with a look of pure hate and disgust.

"Draco what's wrong you've been in a bad mood ever since you came into the Great Hall." Pansy Parkinson asked with an over exaggerated look of concern.

Draco didn't look over at her, he stayed with his arms crossed on the table leaning down on them and looking up at the enchanted ceiling. He did not want to talk about his new dilemma with anyone.

'Let them find out on their own, far be it for me to say anything, I'd rather have my tongue cut out first.'

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Once the meal had finished Dumbledore tapped his spoon on his goblet and rose to his feet, the room fell silent and all eyes were on him, he looked at everyone through his half-moon spectacles and said, "Welcome to another year. Now for the ground rules for all who don't know them or for those who need them to be repeated," he began glancing at Harry and Ron who merely smirked, "The Dark Forest is not for any student to be going into, Quidditch is not for first years and trips to Hogsmeade are only for third years and above. I want all students to listen to all teachers and prefects and our new Head Boy and Girl for the year. Mr. Draco Malfoy of Slytherin and Ms. Hermione Granger of Gryffindor."

'Lucky me' Hermione thought sarcastically as the room applauded for her and Draco, but more for her than Draco.

'I never knew being Head Boy could suck so much' Draco thought as he glared at Hermione and hated her for being Head Girl. 'Leave it to Granger to take all the fun out of it.'

Dumbledore raised his hand to silence everyone and then began speaking again, "Further more this year will possibly be one of the most entertaining years at Hogwarts yet. We have an assortment of things planned, Balls, House Tournaments and after House Tournaments there will be the School Tournament," he began as students began buzzing with excitement, even Draco raised a brow of interest, "The four winners of each school house will face off in the school tournament…the winner will receive a very special prize and 1000 points awarded to their house. Now, you may all go to bed. Dates for these events will be posted in your common rooms, goodnight."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other with intrigue, "A school tournament huh? It'll be great to end our last year with a bang by having Gryffindor win the tournament." Ron said with a smile of excitement.

Harry nodded, "Yea, I'll love to see the looks on the Slytherins faces when that happens, especially Malfoy's."

The two started laughing but Hermione didn't for it only reminded her of where she had to go next…her and Draco's room.

"Well looks like we gotta get going, see you tomorrow Hermione." The two of them said as they headed out of the hall. Hermione sighed; she really wanted to go to the Gryffindor common room.

Dumbledore then called her and Draco towards him, "Here's a map of how to get to your room, and it's in the center of the castle so you can have easy access to everything. Goodnight you two." He said as he then walked passed them.

Hermione gazed at the map, it showed her the room in the center and it showed two dots on the far left corner of the map marked Draco and Hermione.

'This is easy enough at least,' Hermione thought with a sigh.

"Give me the map Granger." Draco spat as he tried to grab it out of Hermione's hand.

"No! Stop it you brainless idiot!" Hermione said pulling the map away from him.

Draco grew impatient, this wasn't exactly his best night ever and he was not going to allow the abominable mudblood tell him anything he didn't want to hear.

"Brainless am I?" he began as he quickly walked around Hermione and then stopped in front of her after he quickly circled her once, "If I'm so brainless then how is it that I managed to get the map from you?" he said holding it out for her to see.

Hermione's eyes bulged out, "Give it back!"

Draco smirked and pulled it away, "Stop it you brainless idiot!" Draco said imitating Hermione's voice, which only got Hermione more furious.

Hermione jumped up and grabbed half of the map as she fell back down it ripped in half.

Draco looked at his half of the map horrified, "You…you…ripped the bloody map in half!" Draco shouted, his anger came right back to him all at once.

Hermione looked at her half, 'Great! Just Great!' she thought.

"Well give me your half so I can hold them together." Hermione said reaching for the other half of the map.

"Stay away you clumsy mudblood. I won't let you rip this last half into another half!" He said backing away from her.

"Then we won't get to our room!" Hermione shouted in reason.

"Who cares!? Better stay out here than in that room with you!" He said leaning up against a wall with his arms crossed and one leg leaning back.

Hermione scowled at him, "Well, then stay out here…I'm going to find MY room and sleep in MY bed tonight." She said walking passed him.

Draco looked at her as if he thought she was joking about the whole MY room and MY bed thing, he got off the wall and followed her, "YOUR room? YOUR bed? I most certainly think not!"

Hermione stopped, she suddenly had an idea that might let her have the room all to herself for the night, "Whoever gets to the room first gets to call it their own for the night."

Draco looked at her, the offer did appeal to him. 

'A chance to have the room to myself for tonight, huh? Lord knows I'm quicker than Granger and most likely smarter, sure why not? I'll win this.' He thought with a sneer.

He looked at Hermione with a face of pure confidence, "Alright…hope you like sleeping on stone." He said as he then went down a hall, leaving Hermione slightly worried with his confident attitude.

'He can't possibly know how to get there, could he?' she thought as she decided to stop wasting time and began running through the halls to find the room before Malfoy did.

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A/N: Nice huh? Who will get to the room first? Or will neither one of them get their first? Hehe…I love cliffhangers…especially when I'm writing them. Cause when its someone else's cliffhanger I'm the one left dying to know what's going to happen next lol. Anyway please let me know what you guys thought about it, and I'll be updating once a week…so expect another update same day next week k? IM me don't e-mail me cause I don't read mail on bluemistt18@aol.com k? Alright, lataz!


	3. Getting Settled

A/N: Wow, seventeen reviews for one chapter! That has never happened before lol! Alright…I'm glad you all like the fic, like I said every Friday another chapter comes up! Though to be perfectly honest I still don't really know where I'm going with it, I'm just writing whatever comes to my mind. Anyhow…at least it isn't a bunch of inane babble. On with the fic!

Disclaimer: Look at Chapter 1!

Credits: Look at Chapter 1!

Thanks too: ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, DazedPanda, Tokyobabe2040, sweet-77-thang, SubliminalMsgs, Raye-Rei, In Dreams, RosyCheeks, Kelsey, Jenny, harry's girl, hP fAn Fo LyFe, super-sycoh, Pannygirl, Junsui Chikyuu, Rosellen and RaiNbOwMiLK for reviewing my fic!

Chapter 3: **Getting Settled**

Hermione raced down the hall looking at her half of the map, which still had both dots on it that said Draco and Hermione in red and green. 

'At least Malfoy can't even see where he's going yet and from the looks of it I'm pretty close to the room. Just two more corners and I should be there,' Hermione then looked down at the map again, 'Oh no! Malfoy is just as close as I am! How'd the ferret manage that!?'

Draco ran lightly through the halls, even though he couldn't see where he was on the map he could tell by the path on the map that he was very close, just two more corners to go.

'I'll have that room tonight.' He thought smugly as he turned another corner.

One corner left.

Hermione turned her final corner and began breaking into a run just to insure that she got to the room first since she saw no one there. 

'Yes! I did it! I got the room!' she thought happily as she ran faster.

Just then she spotted Draco coming around the corner, his eyes widened in surprise and horror as he saw Hermione approach the door.

He immediately broke out into a run and since he was naturally quicker then she was he was covering lost ground fairly quick until he finally was as close to the room as she was.

'This room is mine!' he thought as he reached out for the handle.

'Trip you pure-blooded bastard!' she thought as she leapt towards the door to gain ground and at that same moment Draco had reached out his hand and grabbed the handle.

They both had their hand on the handle and they looked at each other with pure hatred. 

"Sod off! I got here first!" Hermione shouted.

"Oh you did, did you? My hand clearly reached the handle before your nasty mudblood hand reached it!" Draco spat.

Hermione scowled, she did not count on a tie. She had thought for sure she had won this contest.

'A tie? So now what? Is that it?' Hermione thought in total disbelief.

Draco glanced up at the ceiling in aggravation, "This is some sort of sick and twisted nightmare."

Hermione glared up at him, "I know its not simply because I don't have dreams with you in them, nightmare or otherwise! My mind would never betray me like that."

Draco's grip on the handle tightened, "You repulse me to no end! Just shut up!"

Right before Hermione could snap back the door swung open unexpectedly and the two of them fell into the room and landed hard on the floor next to each other. The door swung shut behind them and suddenly the fireplace lit up and all the candles and lights went on. The room had one Queen sized four poster, two comfy chairs in front of the fire, two desks at opposite ends of the room to study from, one bathroom next to the four poster and one closet with one large window on the other side of the bed which gave them a view of the lake and mountains in the distance.

Draco and Hermione slowly lifted their bodies from the floor and looked back at the door that had rudely let them in, "Did you open the door like that!?" Hermione shouted assuming he had.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "Do I look like a mudblood to you?"

Hermione glared at him venomously, "You are such an ass! I'm sure the sky turned black the day you were born Draco Malfoy!"

Draco sneered, "I was born at sunrise Granger!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, 'Of course he was! Why not?' she thought sarcastically. She then walked away from his side and opened the bathroom door; it was very spacious, it had a Jacuzzi tub and next to that was a shower. Across from that were two sinks with one long mirror going across the wall.

'A Jacuzzi tub, I'm definitely using that for relaxation lord knows I'll be needing it.' She thought as she then turned towards the doorway and nearly bumped into Draco who had both hands leaning up on both sides of the doorframe, she glanced up into his silvery eyes with pure contempt, "Move," she said sternly.

Draco glanced at her fiercely for a few more seconds and then without saying a word removed one hand from the doorframe allowing Hermione room to exit.

He then without looking back at her casually walked into the bathroom and observed everything in it. He spotted the Jacuzzi tub and smirked, 'Oh, I can have fun here.' He thought as he then heard the sound of someone plopping themselves on the bed.

He left the bathroom and turned to the left and saw Hermione lying in the bed, he raised a brow at her, "What are you doing?" he asked.

Hermione glanced up at him and smiled, "I'm resting in my bed."

He gave her a look that suggested he thought she was joking, "Your bed?"

"That's right." She said making herself even more comfortable in the bed.

"In what bloody universe!?" He shouted looking at her as if she was crazy.

Hermione said nothing as she smirked at him in a very Draco like manor. Draco glanced at her in disbelief, 'Who the hell does she think she is? Well, let me just remind her of who I am for apparently she seems to be forgetting.'

Draco walked into the bathroom and started running the water in the Jacuzzi tub, he waited till it was full and then he stopped it.

Draco then walked around the bed and stood beside where she lay eyes closed and then without saying a word he bent down and quickly scooped her up in his arms, "What the hell do you think you're doing!? Let me go Malfoy!" he quickly walked into the bathroom; "You want me to let you go Granger?" he asked. 

She rolled her eyes angrily at him, "Yes you bloody git! Let me go!" 

Draco grinned evilly at her, "As you wish," he said smoothly as he then dumped her into the Jacuzzi tub that he had filled up with water.

Draco chuckled at the site of Hermione screaming in the tub, "You…you…I'll get you for this MALFOY!"

Draco laughed out loud at her comment and stared at her with sparkling silver eyes filled with a strange glow that Hermione hardly ever saw in his cold eyes, he bent down so close to her their lips could almost touch as he said, "I'm shaking in fear."

Hermione stared at him for a minute in pure silence; she was taken aback for some odd reason, she then snapped out of her little trance and scowled at him. All that while Hermione had taken a glass cup that had been on the Jacuzzi rim and behind her back she slowly filled it with water.

Hermione then smiled when she had finished, "Cool off," she said as Draco looked at her curiously.

She then quickly dumped the water in the cup over his head and got up and out of the Jacuzzi dripping wet. Draco didn't move an inch as she looked down at him.

'What the hell just happened!?' he thought angrily as he rose from the floor and spun around quickly to glare at her.

"You stupid little-" Draco began but was then cut off by Hermione who through a towel in his face.

"Dry off." She said as she then turned around and went out of the bathroom.

Draco removed the towel from his face and scowled, "This is far from over."

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Hermione got her wand and used a Drying Spell to dry her and her clothes.

'I cannot believe Malfoy actually dumped me into the tub! This is only the first night here and I am already furious beyond words.' She thought as she struggled to unpack her things.

Draco then walked in from the bathroom; 'Hell cannot be much worse then this.' He thought as he began unpacking.

They both finished unpacking at the same time and as they both gathered their bathroom items they made their way towards the bathroom. Once again both ended up at the doorway.

"Get away Malfoy, I'm showering first!" Hermione shouted.

"Like hell you are!" he shouted back.

Hermione sighed in frustration, "Ever heard the phrase 'Ladies first'?"

Draco chuckled, "I see no ladies here."

Hermione's eyes bulged and she without thinking pushed Draco away, since he wasn't expecting it he fell over a chair and onto the floor. As he suddenly heard the sound of the bathroom door shut.

Draco put his head back down on the floor and didn't move, "This girl…I can't stand her!"

Two hours later Draco was pacing the room waiting for Hermione to get out. He then banged on the door, "Get out! Its my turn already!"

"Patience is a virtue Malfoy! Learn it!" Hermione shouted back.

Draco growled, he couldn't take much more of this, "Get out or I'll break the door down!"

Hermione laughed, she knew Draco would never do that, "Oh please Malfoy! Just shut up and wait till I get out!"

'Shut up!? She has told me to shut up for the last time!' he thought angrily.

"I don't wait for anyone Granger!" he shouted as he then with one leg kicked the door open cop style.

"AHHHH!" Hermione screamed in shock.

Draco's eyes widened, Hermione had no pajamas on yet, nor any towel covering her naked figure.

Hermione froze in mortification as Draco's eyes went from a look of shock to a look of interest; a grin came to his mouth as he started to look her over.

Hermione realized what he was doing and got out of her frozen state, she scrambled for her towel and immediately concealed herself with it.

Draco sighed, "Leave it to you to ruin a good thing."

Hermione was furious, "Get out!"

Draco laughed, "Fine…I've seen enough to keep my mind occupied anyhow."

Hermione aimed to throw a bar of soap at Draco's head but he caught it in his hand with ease, he merely smirked and tossed it back to her and walked out.

Hermione slammed the door shut and with her wand repaired the broken lock.

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Fifteen minutes later Hermione walked out of the bathroom with her purple pajamas, the shirt was a spaghetti strap lavender tank top and she wore long and baggy gray sweat pants. Draco was lying on the bed with a grin as he saw Hermione exit the bathroom, Draco realized she was avoiding his gaze and he only chuckled.

'Stupid git.' Hermione thought as she heard Draco chuckle.

Draco then grabbed his things and headed for the bathroom. Hermione watched as the door shut behind him.

'I want to get out of here! I hate Dumbledore for doing this to me! Why did he do it? I know if he really wanted to he could've given us separate rooms! Or separate beds at least!' she thought as she took out her book Hogwarts: A History and began reading again for the umpteenth time on the bed.

Within an hour Hermione heard the running water stop and she knew Draco would be out soon, and then the new problem of who would get the bed for the night was going to come up soon.

Just then the door opened and Hermione heard Draco say, "I forgot my boxers out here."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she continued reading the book, "So go get them." She said annoyingly.

"Fine, but if your virgin eyes don't want to be tainted just ignore me." He said as he then walked out of the bathroom.

Hermione put on a curious face as she turned away from her book, "Whats that supposed to me-"

Hermione froze as she saw Draco in his entire naked glory walk over to the closet and pull out his silk black shorts. He turned to see the shocked look on Hermione's face.

Draco grinned, "Like what you see?"

Hermione snapped out of her shock at Draco's conceited words, "No."

Draco shook his head still grinning, "You have always been a bad liar, well I say enjoy what you see, for I guarantee it's the last time you'll get a view like this."

Hermione looked away from him with a hidden difficulty as she tried to continue reading, "You don't see me crying a river over it now do you?"

Draco laughed as he went back into the bathroom with his silk black boxers hanging over his shoulder, then he closed the door and his fake grin faded into a frown.

'Did she really…I mean…if so she's the first girl to ever not…WHO THE HELL CARES!? I don't need her approval!' he thought bitterly as he put on his boxers and brushed his teeth.

Hermione let out the biggest sigh, 'Good lord. Who would've thought Malfoy could be so…so…' she stopped thinking.

"What am I thinking!? Alright he's good looking, that's not a sin to think is it? Its not like he knows what I think anyhow! I still hate him…so no harm done." She said self-assumingly.

A few minutes later Draco exited the bathroom with nothing but his boxers on. Hermione looked at him and said nothing; she was already on her side of the bed.

"I'm not sleeping in the same bed with you." He said coldly.

Hermione shrugged, "Do me a favor then and sleep on the floor."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "On second thought, why don't you sleep on the floor?"

Hermione then mumbled a few words and then flicked her wand towards the center of the bed.

"There, now I think we can manage." She said.

Draco looked at her confused, "What did you do?"

"I placed an invisible wall in the middle of the bed, we'll never touch as we sleep." Hermione said as she put her book on the night table next to her.

Draco slowly sat on his side of the bed looking at Hermione curiously, he then looked at the air in front of him and reached out his hand, he then felt something like glass against his skin. He knocked on it and poked it and every other thing, "Not bad Granger."

"Pleasant nightmares Malfoy." Hermione mumbled as she turned off the lights.

Draco scoffed, "I'm already in one, can't be much worse in my dreams."

Hermione went to hit him forgetting the wall was there, "Ouch!"

Draco laughed, "I like this wall already."

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That night Hermione and Draco didn't have much of a pleasant sleep; they both tossed and turned a lot.

Draco turned to his right and then, "Shit!! Bloody hell!" Draco woke up with his head and half of his body hurting, "I hate that damn wall!"

Hermione also turned in her sleep and banged her back right into the wall, "Ouch! Erg…stupid wall."

"One of your more brilliant ideas Granger turns out to be a bloody nuisance!" Draco said as he tried frustrated to get comfortable again.

Hermione sighed, "Well its either sleep with it or without it! Do I really have to hear you tell me which one you prefer!"

Draco mumbled something about, 'Bloody wall!' and 'Touching mudbloods'.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Thought so."

They both tried to sleep again, this time they both took their pillows and put them against the wall so that if they crashed into the wall again the pillow would cushion them.

Needless to say it was the worst sleep either of them ever had.

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A/N: Haha! God I love that wall! Anyway, tell me what you guys thought and next week I'll have another chapter up and out! Oh by the way, you know about the massive blackout that happened yesterday? I was in that mess…it was burning hot…candles all over the house…watching a dvd on a laptop that only had 26min. of battery power left ::sighs:: shit sucked! But I got power back yay! Was anyone else reading this stuck in the blackout too? Just curious to know lol, let me hear the story from my fellow sufferers! Alright hope you liked chapter 3! Please read and review…bye!


	4. Milk

A/N: Yay! More reviews! And this is like my first hp fic ever! Ok, ok anyway…lol once again I shall be writing whatever comes to my mind; apparently this method works the best lol! And to answer a few questions about me that were asked My name is Jenny, I live in NY, I'm a girl and I was born in America but I'm Puerto Rican and well more like ¼ Italian.

Disclaimer: I own nada of Harry Potter; I'm just not that smart!

Credits: J.K. Rowling, god bless her for giving us Draco!

Thanks too: In Dreams, DIANE_14, hotaru420, ToOtHpIcK, Pannygirl, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, hP fAn Fo LyFe, Draco is the man, Diva Star 919, RaiNbOwMiLK, Annikah, Junsui Chikyuu, justalilcrazy, Lavender Brown and femme fatale for the awesome reviews!

Chapter 4: **Milk**

The sun finally began to rise on a cold Monday morning…Draco had managed to fall asleep twenty minutes ago, when the sun's golden rays pierced his closed eyes. His brows contracted in discomfort and a low growl was heard, Hermione stirred lightly on her side of the bed as she heard her alarm clock go off for 7:00.

"Shut that blasted muggle contraption off!" Draco growled. 

He was super grouchy due to his ridiculous amount of sleep, a whole twenty minutes.

Hermione moaned at the sound of his voice, she had thought last night was all a horrible dream but when she heard that familiar voice, "Granger shut that damn thing off already!" Everything came right back to her in a miserable instant.

Hermione focused her vision and then slapped the top of the clock and shut it off.

"There its off, now shut up will you, I want to sleep." Hermione said taking a pillow and putting it over her head. She managed a good forty minutes of sleep.

"That makes two of us." Draco said as he rolled over on his stomach and tried again to find sleep.

Within five minutes there was a knock at their door.

"Mr. Malfoy! Ms. Granger! Open up!" Came the familiar voice of Ms. McGonagall.

"Noooooo!" Draco moaned with a muffled voice since he was speaking through his pillow.

Hermione sighed, "Why now?" 

The knocking continued, "Open up you two! This instant!"

"Granger go and open the door!" Draco ordered as if it were nothing.

Hermione sat up in her bed and looked over at Draco, "Do I look like a servant to you?"

Draco pulled the pillow from his face and looked over at Hermione through groggy eyes, "You're a mudblood, its close enough." He then put the pillow back over his face as he waved with his hand to instruct Hermione to the door.

Hermione glared at him, she then took her wand and mumbled the counter spell for the wall and then she quickly kneed Draco hard in the groin.

"AHH! Shit!" He said as he curled up on the bed, the pillow slid off his face and his eyes were shut tight in pain.

Hermione headed towards the door and laughed at the sight of Draco in excessive amounts of pain, she then swung the door open.

"Ah, finally…what took you so long to open?" Asked McGonagall.

Hermione stared at her with tired pink eyes, "Didn't sleep well last night," she began with a yawn, "so it took me a while to get up."

The Professor nodded and then came a sound of, "Bloody Bitch!" from Draco who was holding his groin still in a lot of pain.

"Ms. Granger what on earth is wrong with Mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione didn't know how she was going to talk her way out of this one, "Um, well Professor you see what happened was…well what I mean to say is that…well it really was-"

McGonagall raised her hand to Hermione to silence her, "Whatever happens in here is not my concern as long as Mr. Malfoy isn't dying I don't really care. I just came in here to let you two know that, as Head Boy and Girl the two of you must always be out and dressed by 7:30 every morning except on weekends and in the Great Hall right before breakfast. No tardiness is allowed otherwise detention for both of you."

Hermione nodded with a fake smile, "Of course Professor."

McGonagall nodded and then took another look over at Draco, "And do see if you can help Mr. Malfoy with whatever is troubling him."

Hermione looked back at Draco and chuckled; she then looked back at the serious face of McGonagall and immediately stopped, "Yes Professor."

"Alright, see you in thirty minutes."

Hermione nodded and then shut the door.

Hermione then nonchalantly walked over to the bed where Draco was slowly beginning to recover from the pain, "So Malfoy, how are we feeling today?" She asked with the biggest smile she had had since she arrived at Hogwarts.

Draco glared up at her with the deepest hate in his eyes and a look to kill, "You-will-pay-for-that."

Hermione looked at him unaffected by his words and she then kneeled on the bed next to him and leaned forward to him close enough that their lips almost touched much like Draco had done to her last night in the tub and she said, "I'm shaking in fear."

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During breakfast in the Great Hall, Hermione sat with Ron and Harry and she looked like she was ready to fall asleep.

"Hermione, you look dead tired, you ok?" Harry asked looking at her concerned.

Hermione's eyes fell open and closed several times, "No Harry, I'm not dead, why?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other curiously, "I said you look dead tired Hermione." Harry said in a slightly louder tone so Hermione could wake up and hear him better.

Hermione straightened up and looked more awake then she had all morning, "I'm fine."

The two of them raised curious brows at her, "Uh huh…so where's your room at Hermione?" Ron asked as he drank some pumpkin juice.

"Its in Hell." Hermione said as she conjured up a cup of tea.

"Say what?" Ron asked. Harry just looked at her with a curious brow raised.

"I never told you two last night, so might as well say it now…Malfoy and I have to share a room for the year." Hermione said too tired to really care.

"Funny how you failed to mention that last night." Ron said looking at her slightly angered by the news.

"So is that why you look like you didn't sleep last night? Trouble with Malfoy?" Harry said with slight disapproval lacing his voice.

Hermione nodded tiredly, "We have to share a bed too. Now before the two of you get a testosterone overload let me finish," she began as Harry and Ron forcefully and silently calmed down, "I placed an invisible wall in the center of the bed, so we could never touch. So that it would seem like we weren't in the bed together."

"I guess it didn't work to well?" Harry asked assumingly.

Hermione sighed, "It worked like it was supposed to, only thing was every time you moved the wrong way in your sleep you'd crash into it."

"So that explains why Malfoy looks just as horrible as you do." Ron said with a laugh finding the whole wall incident funny.

Hermione tossed Ron's pumpkin juice in his face, "Say I look horrible again Ronald Weasely and see what else I'll throw at you!"

Harry and Ron looked at her shocked and slightly frightened, for they knew that when Hermione got mad, she was a force to be reckoned with.

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Over at the Slytherin table Draco had his hand supporting his head as he fell in and out of consciousness.

"Malfoy, why you so tired?" asked Blaise Zabini who sat across from him.

Draco's eyes shot open and he looked at Blaise, "Bad sleep."

"Oh is that all?" Blaise began as Draco looked at him suspiciously, "Cause we all heard that you and the little mudblood over there have to share a room for a year. We all figured you were to busy screwing her last night that you didn't get any sleep."

Draco scoffed, "I wouldn't touch her for anything in the world. You have no idea what its like sharing a room with her and sharing a bathroom is even worse."

"Yea, but you mean to say you'd never do her? I mean she may be a mudblood but its not like she's a hag. We all said if we could we'd do her, she definitely has the looks to please." Blaise said turning to look at Hermione who had just thrown a cup of pumpkin juice at Ron.

"Yea but she isn't exactly fond of Slytherins and she also has a temper." Draco said wincing slightly at the remembrance of the moment when Hermione kneed him in his groin.

"You saying you're scared of her Malfoy?" Blaise asked with a smirk.

Draco looked at him in disbelief of his words, "Me? Scared of the mudblood, what the hell are you on?"

Blaise shrugged, "Then you wouldn't be scared to have her right?"

Draco raised a bored brow up at Blaise, he wouldn't let his thoughts betray him, for he had to admit Hermione definitely had the body, he saw that for himself last night and the thought had crossed his mind. But he could have any girl he wanted. He never wanted Granger…would he ever start?

"I'm never scared to have any girl Zabini, remember that." Draco said as the bell rang, it was time for the first class of the day.

**************************************************************

The first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and once again they had a different teacher from the year before, the new Professor had a black cloak on and a large hood covered their face. All the students looked at the Professor oddly as they stood in front of the desk silently, Gryffindor and Slytherin had this class together as well as Potions, Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration.

Everyone went to sit down but then they heard the teacher say, "Please stand."

Everyone looked at the Professor with slight fear in their eyes but they did as they were told, "You shall all sit in pairs of three, sit where I point when I…well…point to you since I don't know your names yet."

The Professor began the process, putting pairs of three at a desk; the Professor then quickly pointed again, "You three sit in the third row desk on the left."

Hermione, Harry and Draco sat at the desk as told, with Hermione being forced in the middle since Harry and Draco didn't want to sit next to each other.

Ron was paired with, Lavender and Blaise and he sat in the third row desk on the right so he was across from Hermione, Harry and Draco.

Once the pairings were done, the teacher began to speak.

"You're all seventh years I presume, so there will be no need to discuss the basics. But before I go on to teach any of you anything I need to know your names, so we shall play a little game," began the Professor, still hooded, "When I point to you, say your name, your house and what food or drink you think describes you the best."

Everyone nodded.

"Then let's start with you." They said pointing to Ron.

Ron looked at the Professor and gulped, "Name is Ronald Weasely, I'm a Gryffindor and what describes me best is…uh…carrots?"

The class started giggling, "Why carrots Mr. Weasely?" the Professor asked.

Ron shrugged, as he looked for an answer not really knowing why he said carrots, "Cause they're tall for a vegetable and I'm tall…er…it's the color of my hair…um…yea that's all."

"You forgot skinny Weasel." Blaise said next to him, Ron glared at him and his ears turned red and he clenched his fists.

"Calm down Ron its not worth it." Lavender said as she held Ron's fist and made Ron eventually calm down.

"I want no more side comments from anyone as we go on, is that understood? Now…how about you." The Professor said pointing to Harry.

Harry's eyes widened he wasn't prepared to answer, "My name is Harry Potter, I'm a Gryffindor and I guess I'd say what best describes me is a…uh…banana?"

Again you heard giggles from the class, "So Mr. Potter, why a banana?"

"Well all my friends would know why I guess…cause you have to get rid of what everyone else has said about me before you can see the real me on the inside." He said, not really sure if he was making any sense.

"Ah, so you say people need to get rid of the peels of fame and gossip that surround you before they can see the real you on the inside." The Professor said, seeming to get Harry's point right on the nose.

Harry nodded his head silently.

"Alright then…how about…you." They said pointing to Hermione.

"My Name is Hermione Granger, I'm a Gryffindor and I guess what best describes me is, Butterbeer."

Once again, giggles and laughter.

"Finally someone chose a beverage. Why Butterbeer Ms. Granger."

"Well, I simply know from experience, that if you hang around me for a while its pleasant, but sometimes if you hang around too much I always manage to do something to displease…kind of when a house-elf gets drunk off of way too much Butterbeer. But a few cups at first is all good and pleasant."

"I'll drink to that." Ron and Draco mumbled in unison both unaware of it.

"Alright…why not finish off this pair…you sir, your turn." The Professor said pointing at Draco.

Draco's brows shot up in surprise, 'Why'd the hooded fool have to pick me?'

"Well speak boy." The Professor said impatiently.

Draco began trying to think of something, anything that could be something only he could have describe him perfectly. What was one thing he was known for? He then grinned his famous grin, "My Name is Draco Malfoy, I'm in Slytherin and I think what best describes me is…milk."

"Milk? Mr. Malfoy, why?"

Draco eyed several of the girls in the class before turning to the Professor and with a mischievous grin said, "Cause I _do_ a body good."

The Slytherin guys began praising Draco with laughter, and the Slytherin girls began blushing and giggling, even a few Gryffindor girls were blushing and giggling at Draco's confident answer.

Hermione looked over at him with a look that said, 'I can't believe he actually said that.'

"Hey Hermione keep that wall up every night you hear me?" Harry whispered to her cause just like everyone else in the room he got Draco's point.

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A/N: Isn't Draco the best? If anyone didn't get the whole milk thing then all I have to say is…no I'll be nice. So what did you think? Did you like it? LOL! I DID! So people once again I ask…tell me what you thought of this chapter. Not too much Draco and Hermione interaction…but hey this stuff needed to happen, cause who's the new DADA teacher? Any ideas? Here's a hint, they are in the 5th book so I didn't make them up. Whoever guesses correctly will get a spot in the story, don't know for what chapter yet! Alright let me go…have food to consume! Read and Review! Bye! Oh and um…I won't be able to update next Friday so I'll update the next day on Saturday k, I have a family thing going on Friday that's why, k?

Review!

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	5. The DADA Professor

A/N: Wow, didn't expect all these reviews, they're awesome thank you! I'm glad everyone liked the last chapter, and I have to congratulate reviewer Michelle for guessing the identity of the new DADA teacher (applauds) you've earned yourself a spot in the story, don't know when yet lol but you'll be in here eventually. .

Warning: OotP spoilers, from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: damn this gets annoying to answer after a while…just look at previous chapters k?

Credits: this is getting annoying too…look at previous chapters k?

Thanks too: noisyamie, In Dreams, aZn-baYbEe, hP fAn Fo LyFe, ToOtHpIcK, Pannygirl, Lavender Brown, Draco is the man, Helen the Melon, FredandGeorge4eva, RAiNbOwMiLK, violentdelight, Chach-A-Lot, crazyhyper, Whoosh, mandarinn orange, super sycoh, overXposed, Michelle, Jazzylady, Raye-Rei, Junsui-Chikyuu and sweetstar3 for the awesome reviews!

Chapter 5: **The DADA Professor**

The first DADA class of the year was now finished so was their first Transfiguration class of the year. Ron and Harry had just gotten out of their Divination class and Hermione out of her Arithmancy class.

They met up in the Great Hall for lunch.

"You'd think after fifth year, homework wouldn't seem so bad…but I was wrong." Ron mumbled as he dropped his bag.

"Well N.E.W.T's are this year, what did you expect?" Hermione said taking her seat.

Harry grinned as he sat down.

"At least we didn't get any homework in DADA class yet." Ron said as he began helping himself to some Shepherds Pie.

"I wonder why our new DADA teacher won't show their face." Harry said grabbing some pot roast.

Hermione looked over at Harry, "There's something about the Professor that I find very familiar."

"Funny you say that Hermione cause I do too." Harry said looking down at his food with no care to eat it.

Suddenly they heard a bunch of laughing from the entrance and they saw Draco walking with Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise and two other Slytherin guys.

"I still can't believe the ego of Malfoy, it's big enough to congest the entire school." Ron said glaring at Draco as he watched him sit down at the Slytherin table.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "For some reason him saying that in DADA seemed almost natural."

Harry looked over at Hermione after glaring at Draco, "Well at least I know I don't have to worry about you sharing a bed with Malfoy with that wall and all."

Ron's ears turned slightly pink, "If he tries anything Hermione you let us know, we'll take care of it," he began, then his face slowly turned into a slightly sad and disappointed looking expression, "besides thanks to Malfoy I doubt I'll ever be able to drink a glass of milk ever again." Ron mumbled.

Harry and Hermione smirked, "Don't worry Ron, I'm a Gryffindor, an untouchable for any Slytherin male." She said with a smile.

***********************************************************************

Eventually, night came and everyone was in the Great Hall for dinner. Once everyone was seated Dumbledore tapped his goblet to silence everyone.

Harry then noticed the cloaked DADA Professor taking a seat at the head table with the other teachers right next to Professor Snape.

"Most of you I'm sure have seen our new DADA Professor in your classes, they only arrived early this morning so there was no time for an introduction, so now I'd like to introduce to all of you the new DADA Professor," he began as the DADA teacher rose and with their hand slipped off their hood, "Ms. Nymphadora Tonks."

Harry, Hermione and Ron's eyes went wide, "Tonks!? She's going to be our new DADA teacher?" Ron said in amazement.

"Seems she's changed her look a bit." Hermione said as she noticed that Tonks now had long wavy brown hair with green eyes, instead of her usual short pink colored spike hair and blue eyes.

"Now that introductions are over, please…eat." Dumbledore said as suddenly all the food appeared on the tables.

"I wonder why Tonks acted like she didn't know who we are in class today." Hermione said, remembering the adventures her, Harry and Ron had with Tonks back in fifth year.

"Yea, that was a bit weird, not to mention the fact that her look has totally changed." Ron said looking over at Tonks.

"Hey, if I remember right, isn't she Malfoy's first cousin?" Harry said as he remembered the day when Sirius had shown them the Black family tree.

"Yea, she is…I wonder what Malfoy has to say about his cousin being his teacher." Hermione said as she glanced over at Draco who wasn't looking too happy.

"Nothing good apparently." Harry said looking at Draco.

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After Hermione and Draco did their after curfew rounds, they headed back to their room.

They both took turns going into the bathroom and showering, without so much as a word to each other. Hermione however did want to ask at some point what Draco thought about Tonks being the new DADA teacher. Once he was out of the bathroom, with a black tank top and boxers as his new pajama she decided to ask.

"How does it feel to have a relative for a teacher?" She asked pretending like she was reading her Arithmancy book.

Draco didn't turn to face her as he continued putting his school robe back in the closet, "What do you mean?"

Hermione's brows contracted together in confusion, "Nymphadora Tonks is your cousin isn't she?"

Draco closed the closet door and turned to face Hermione, "So?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Fine, I don't care. Don't tell me, I don't want to know anymore."

Draco glanced at her with a curious face, "Then why did you ask Granger?"

Hermione shrugged, she then took her wand out and mumbled the spell for the invisible wall.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Not that bloody wall again."

Hermione looked up at him standing by his side of the bed arms crossed over his chest, "After what you said today in DADA, this wall has just become my new best friend."

Draco scoffed, "Oh please…how much of a child are you?"

Hermione glared at him, "I'm no child."

Draco sneered, "Yea you are, but I could change that if I wanted," he began as he slowly crept onto his side of the bed, "but your not worthy of such a thing."

Hermione was furious, "The only thing I'd become after sleeping with you would be a slutty whore!"

Draco rested his head on his pillow with his hands under his head and looked over at Hermione, "If you're really fearful of becoming a slutty whore after sleeping with someone, then stay clear of Zabini…not that I care what happens to you if you don't."

Hermione had had enough that she hardly listened to the last thing Draco said, "Go to hell Malfoy!"

Draco smirked, "Already here Granger."

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The next day Hermione and Draco were exhausted, another night of crashing into the invisible wall and not finding comforting sleep.

As they both headed out of their room Draco looked at Hermione and said, "Last night was the last night that wall is up there."

Hermione looked at him with a smile, "Like I care what you say? Your word may be the final one in the Slytheirn common room but not in our room."

Hermione then walked on without him, Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "Damn girl."

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After classes were over that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione, decided to go visit Tonks in the DADA room.

Hermione knocked lightly and they heard from inside, "Come in."

The three of them walked in to find Tonks sitting at her desk with a quill in hand.

"Hello Tonks, I mean Professor Tonks." Ron said with a smile.

Tonks smiled, "Hey you three. Surprised to see it was me were you?" She said getting up and giving the three of them hugs.

"Yea, you could say that." Harry said with a smile.

"I see you have a new look Tonks, ugh, I mean Professor." Hermione said.

Tonks laughed, "Just call me Tonks after class hours, it's easier I think," she began as she sat back down at her desk, "As for that old look of mine, it isn't Professor like, besides I was still young then…this look is more for my age now. Though I might change my eye and hair color every once in a while maybe blonde hair with blue eyes."

Hermione then thought of how much more Tonks would look like Draco's cousin that way.

"You know with that look, you'd definitely look related to Malfoy." Ron said to caution, as if he had read Hermione's mind.

Tonks laughed, "The only people who know I'm related to him at Hogwarts, are McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore, Hagrid, you three, Ginny and Draco himself."

"Hey Tonks, I thought you were an Auror now, what happened?" Harry asked.

Tonks' smile faded suddenly as she stared at Harry, "I'm still an Auror, I'm simply here as a favor."

"For Dumbledore I imagine?" Harry asked.

Tonks nodded, "Of course."

"Right, well, we should be going…dinner is soon." Hermione suddenly said.

"We'll see you later Tonks." Ron said as he and Hermione headed towards the door.

"Yea see you later." Harry turned and followed his friends.

"Alright, bye." Tonks said.

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Just then the three of them walked into Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the headmaster's pets." Draco said with a sneer.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the milkman." Ron said crossing his arms over his chest.

Draco scoffed, "At least I'm not a carrot top."

That comment earned laughter from the other Slytherin guys.

Ron and his temper once again got the best of him as he whipped his wand out and pointed it at Draco, Draco saw his action and whipped out his wand at almost the same time. In doing so the other Slytherins took out their wands, as did Hermione and Harry.

"Were you planning on doing something with that stick of yours Weasely?" Draco asked looking right at Ron with cold silver eyes.

"What's going on out here?" Tonks said from inside the DADA room, which was about ten feet away. She came out to see everyone ready to duel.

"Is there a problem here?" Came a second voice, everyone looked to see Snape walking smoothly over towards them. Snape saw everyone pointing wands and didn't know who was responsible, he then glanced over at Tonks, "Do you know who started this Professor?"

Tonks looked at Snape then back at the seven students, "No sir. I came out two seconds before you got here."

"I see…and what's this…our Head Boy and Girl? I dare say what is this school coming too." He said in a monotone voice.

Hermione and Draco glared at each other.

"Ten points taken from each of you and twenty taken from our head girl," he began as Hermione, Ron and Harry glared up at Snape, Draco smirked, "Just to even the points. As well as a late night detention next Monday, since Quidditch tryouts begin tomorrow I think it only fair that you serve it afterward. Now go."

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That night Draco and Hermione were furious with each other.

"Detention! Last time I had to serve a detention was back in first year…and come to think of it…it was because of you then too!" Hermione shouted.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "Well I had to serve detention too remember? Going into the Dark Forest."

Hermione glared at him, "Served you right. Too bad a centaur didn't come and carry you away like they did to Umbridge."

Draco raised a brow at her, "What was that about Umbridge?"

"Nothing." Hermione said forgetting that Draco didn't know about when she and Harry lured Umbridge into the Dark Forest and had her taken by centaurs back in fifth year,

"To think as Head Girl I managed to get detention! I could kill you for this Malfoy!"

"Its not my fault! Weasely was the one who took out his wand first." Draco said sitting on one of the chairs by the fire.

Hermione was silent, for it really was Ron's fault in a way, "But you are still responsible, for if you hadn't called him a carrot top he never would've taken his wand out!"

Draco laughed, "It was almost worth it."

Hermione took a pillow from the bed and hit him on the head, "Hey!" Draco turned to look at her but she had run into the bathroom.

Draco stood up and plopped himself on the bed, "Damn I can't say anything without getting something thrown at my head, pushed, dumped with water, kneed, smacked…that girl is abusive. But she'll get hers from me on that I swear."

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A/N: So, Tonks is the new DADA Professor, imagine that. So why if she's an Auror is she filling in as a teacher? What's the real reason? Our Head Boy and Girl have detention, along with Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, Harry and Ron. What will Snape have them do? And at this rate, does it look like Draco and Hermione will ever begin to like each other? And if they do, what the hell could make that happen? I know! LoL, but its going to take about one or two more chapters lol, but don't worry I figure a couple like Draco and Hermione can only come together through something really deep together. What you ask? Well keep reading and eventually you'll know lol! Read and Review all! Bye! Oh yea and what do you think of my story so far?


	6. Bad Letters

A/N: Hey! I have returned. I start school on Monday ::swears:: so unfair. Anyway, whatever, on to more important and happy things. Once again thanks for the awesome reviews, I love them all. I've been hearing that people really like my milk quote for Draco, lol, didn't think it would be talked about so much, yay! I'm trying to keep this fic original in my own way, I want it to be as original as possible…so if anyone has any ideas as to how I can add some more originality to the fic PLEASE let me know! I like to be original, though the whole Head Boy/Girl thing isn't an original idea…I want everything else to be ::sniffles:: I'm trying ::sighs:: but it ain't easy, oh well! .

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: Only fools would think I own Harry Potter, really, really, REALLY, stupid fools!

Credits: yadda yadda yadda, J.K. owns it all yadda yadda, props go to her…yadda yadda poo poo!

Thanks too: super sycoh, HIEIhotsauce, Dreaming One, Pannygirl, noisyamie, hP fAn Fo LyFe, violentdelight, paprika90, Tristanlover59, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, catalina, Raye-Rei, Jazzylady, RaiNbOwMiLK, overXposed, mandarinn orange, Lavender Brown, beebopodiggity, psyched, Junsui Chikyuu and glory230 for the awesome reviews!

Chapter 6: **Bad Letters**

Quidditch tryouts were today after classes, at breakfast Harry and Ron were already discussing strategies for the year and on how careful they had to be when it came to selecting replacements, even though there were only two open spots on the team.

Hermione ignored them as she was reading Standard Book of Spells Grade 7 for the third time. 

Yet Hermione's attention towards reading was taken by the presence of Snape, he even managed to stop Harry and Ron's conversation on Quidditch.

"Your detention has been re-scheduled to tomorrow night, seeing as how you only need a day for Quidditch tryouts…you are to be in front of the main stairway at midnight. Any questions?" he asked coolly as he scanned their faces, "Very well, then."

Once Snape was out of hearing range, "Midnight? This sounds like first year all over again." Ron whined.

Hermione sighed, "Try not to think about it now, you should focus on your homework."

Ron looked at Hermione like she was crazy, "Homework? Sorry Hermione but in my mind detention is a thought that stays with me."

Harry swept a hand through his messy brown hair, "As long as I don't have to be paired up with Malfoy in the forest again I don't really care what happens tomorrow."

On the other end of the Great Hall Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise had just been told to meet at the main stairway at midnight.

"Detention with the Gryffindors, could it get worse?" Crabbe said eating a pastry.

Draco looked at him with a disgusted look, "Talk after you swallow will you? You'd think after all the times you've choked you'd've learned that by now."

Crabbe put on a frightened look and quickly gulped the food down.

Just then Pansy came over and sat beside Draco, "Hey sexy."

Draco rolled his eyes, 'I'm not in the mood for this whore today.'

"I hear you have detention, sounds awful." She said with a stupid grin.

Blaise looked over at Pansy with a grin, "Yeah, very awful."

Pansy's attention suddenly went to Blaise, "So what are you doing before class today Zabini?"

Draco faked a choke to cover his laughter; 'Parkinson might as well have a sign around her neck with an arrow pointed down saying (open 24/7)' he thought.

Blaise raised a brow of interest at the girl, "You got something in mind?"

Pansy giggled, "Come on and I'll show you."

With that Blaise and Pansy left the table.

'Zabini is a male whore. He'll do anything that is female and walks.' Draco thought with a shake of his head in disapproval. 'At least he should pick out the good ones first.'

"I thought Pansy was your girl Draco?" Goyle said looking honestly confused.

Draco shrugged, "Doesn't look that way now does it?"

'Thank the gods.' He thought.

"Aren't you angry?" asked Crabbe, making sure not to talk with his mouth full.

'Actually I'm jumping for joy.' He thought.

He looked at Crabbe with a blank expression, "Furious."

"You going to do something about it?" Asked Goyle.

'Maybe in another bloody lifetime.' Draco thought.

"When you and Crabbe turn your one brain cell into two." Draco said flatly, as he sat back in his chair and gazed over at Hermione who was laughing with her friends.

*******************************************************************

In DADA that day Draco caught the moments when Blaise and Pansy would look at each other with stupid grins, he just shook his head at the pathetic sight.

Tonks began speaking, "At the request of the headmaster, I will be teaching you how to defend yourselves against the Unforgivable Curses."

Hermione frowned, 'There is no way to defend yourself against one of those curses,' she thought.

"The curses are the Imperius Curse, Cruciatus Curse and Avada Kedavra which I'm sure you already know, now you must all be thinking that there is no way to defend yourself against such curses…but there are. I'm sure you all know how to defend yourselves with the Imperius Curse, that's all just a matter of will power and mental strength and resistance. But the other two aren't so simple and that's what we shall begin learning for the next few weeks, but first I want you to take down some notes I already have on the board on the curses." She said as she then walked around her desk and sat down.

**********************************************************************

"Something must be up." Harry said as he looked around to make sure no one else could hear him during lunch.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other then at Harry, "What's up mate?" Ron said.

Harry leaned in closer to them, "A present Auror is our new DADA teacher as a favor to Dumbledore and furthermore Tonks who not to mention is a member of the order of the phoenix once again on request of Dumbledore is making us learn how to defend ourselves against the Unforgivable Curses so quickly. We weren't supposed to get into those till January."

"It is a bit odd Harry, but you have no proof that something is amiss yet." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

Harry sighed, "Maybe you're right, but I have this feeling that…something is going on."

"Something probably is going on, but its just too soon to say what." Hermione replied.

"Hey, hold on, has your scar been bothering you Harry?" Ron asked looking slightly worried.

Harry shook his head, "No, ever since the end of fifth year it hasn't really hurt as bad anymore. Though one thing I do know, Voldemort is out there and ready to make his move soon."

Hermione put on a face of intense concentration; she then looked over at Harry, "Is that why you think something's going on? Perhaps Dumbledore knows what you know and he's having Tonks prepare us all in case Voldemort returns?"

Harry shrugged, "I guess."

"Well we'll know eventually, won't we?" Ron said with a sigh of fear.

***********************************************************************

In Arithmancy Draco and Hermione were working together on some Summoning Sums. Neither of them spoke to each other, until they both went for the same quill. For the first time they made eye contact.

Hermione moved her hand away quickly, "You can have it."

Draco raised a suspicious brow at her, and without saying a word took the quill and continued his sums.

Hermione grabbed the other quill on the table and glanced at him, 'Why's he so quiet?'

Draco felt the weight of her stare on him and looked up at her, but Hermione quickly looked down at her notes, 'What's up with her?'

Draco watched as Hermione quickly scribbled her sums down, 'Any harder and she'll burn through the parchment.' He thought.

Just then she put her quill down, "I'm done."

Draco looked at her with a blank expression, "Me too." He said dryly as he tossed his paper down on top of hers.

Hermione sighed, "Must you be so careless with our work."

Draco shrugged, "I could do worse."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as she began organizing their work into a perfect pile, "I'm sure."

'This must be the attitude that got her the position of Head Girl. Too bad it'll serve her little use once we're out of this school,' he thought as he watched her organize, 'It's a shame really.'

***********************************************************************

Classes ended and Harry and Ron went down with their brooms to the Gryffindor Quidditch changing room. 

Harry had gotten the newest broom of the year, The SunStar. He had given his Firebolt to Ron.

"You know Harry, I was wondering," Ron began as he placed his cloak on, "Why didn't you get the new BlackStar broom?"

Harry shrugged, "They're the same in speed, endurance, maneuvering capabilities and all around quality. I just like this model better I guess."

Ron nodded, "Oh. I fancy the BlackStar more, don't know why really."

"The SunStar and the BlackStar are twin brooms except ones gold and ones black. Honestly you men and your brooms." Ginny Weasely said as she made her way into the changing room.

"Where have you been? You were almost late you know." Ron said attempting to scold his younger sister.

Ginny raised a bored brow up at him, "The key word there was 'almost'. I was 'almost' late Ron."

Ron looked at Harry for some support but Harry simply put his hands up refusing to get involved. Ron then looked back at Ginny, "So where were you? Off snogging with Dean?"

Ginny looked at Ron with a glare, "Actually, we broke up over the summer. If its any of your business…which it isn't, I was with Hermione in the common room."

"Is she coming to see tryouts?" Harry asked, hoping to change the subject.

Ginny nodded, "Yea. She finished all her homework already."

"How does she do it?" Ron said in amazement.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shoved her Cleansweep broom into Ron, "Hold this! While I put on my cloak."

***********************************************************************

Hermione made her way to the stands with Lavender and Parvati.

"I love watching tryouts, it's a great way to spot cute guys." Parvarti said with a squeal.

Hermione put on a fake grin, 'Why did I agree to sit with them again?' she thought.

"I just want to see Ron." Lavender said with a dreamy sigh.

Hermione looked over at Lavender with wide eyes, "You like Ron?"

Lavender's eyes went wide when she realized what she had just said in front of Ron's best friend, "Oh my gosh!" she shrieked as she put her hands over her mouth.

Hermione laughed, "Its ok Lavender, I won't say anything if you don't want me to."

Suddenly a wave of relief washed over Lavender, "Thanks Hermione, I don't think I could deal with him knowing just yet."

"Knowing Lavender it'll take her another seven years to say something." Parvati said teasingly.

"You've liked Ron since first year?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Well not since first year exactly…more like second year really." Lavender replied.

'Like that's much of a difference; I wonder what Ron would say if he knew?' Hermione thought as she then saw Madame Hooch come out ready to supervise the tryouts.

Shortly after the four house teams stepped out onto the field.

All four team captains went over to Madam Hooch to decide who would be holding tryouts first, they pulled straws to decide.

Harry was the Gryffindor team captain.

Draco was the Slytherin team captain.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was the Hufflepuff team captain.

Padma Patil was the Ravenclaw team captain.

"I didn't know your sister played Quidditch Parvati?" Hermione said with slight shock.

Parvati shrugged, "She only started last year, you probably didn't realize it was her since she didn't want anyone to recognize her."

Hermione's brows contracted together in confusion, "Why's that?"

Parvati shrugged, "I have no idea. She was the hooded Ravenclaw Chaser last year, the one who was announced as Lacey."

"Really? So she was Lacey? She's really good then." Hermione replied.

"Yea once she realized that, she decided not to play in disguise. Plus to top it all off she made team captain." Parvati said as she watched the captains go back to their teams.

***********************************************************************

Gryffindor took to the air first.

"Wow, doesn't Ron look great in his Quidditch outfit?" Lavender said dreamily.

Hermione and Parvati looked at Lavender like she was crazy, "Uh sure Lavender, whatever you say." Hermione said as she desperately tried to forget what Lavender said.

Within thirty minutes Gryffindor was done with tryouts.

Then came Slytherin tryouts.

"Harry look! Malfoy has the BlackStar broom!" Ron said pointing to Draco who was now in the air.

Harry tightened his grip on his SunStar, "It doesn't matter, we'll beat him anyway."

Draco flew up past Hermione, Parvati and Lavender.

"Even though he's a Slytherin, no one can deny that he looks like a god." Parvati said looking like she was under a trance, more so then Lavender had been over Ron.

Hermione put on a disgusted face, 'Whoa! Malfoy compared to the beauty of a god!? These girls are starting to scare me, are they ill?'

"Hermione don't you think Draco is hott?" Parvati asked with a squeal.

Just then Draco flew by them, from the look of interest on his face he had heard Parvati's question, Hermione watched him look her way as he flew by them again and then upward, 'How do I answer without having them question my sexuality? Oh there is no way, except to lie, which I'm not very good at.'

Hermione looked at Parvati, "There's no denying he's attractive. Its only a shame he doesn't have the personality to match."

'Was that a lie? No, sadly that was the truth.' Hermione thought miserably.

***********************************************************************

That night, Draco and Hermione were at their separate desks at opposite ends of the room doing they're homework and studying, obviously they didn't become Head Boy/Girl by lounging around doing nothing.

'The Dream potion requires, wolfsbane, poison oak, rosewood and um…what was that other one?…Oh what's the point!? I can't concentrate, not with detention tomorrow, its all that gits fault.' Hermione thought venomously as she glared over at Draco across the room.

Suddenly there was a knock at their door, both Draco and Hermione's head turned towards the door, "Well don't just sit there and gawk at it, go open the door." Draco ordered.

"Who exactly are you talking to Malfoy? Cause no one, especially you of all people can order me around like that." She spat.

Again the knocking continued.

'If I do Avada Kadavra on her and then dump the body in the lake, would anyone notice?' He thought as he slowly got up glaring at her.

He then opened the door, "What?" he said annoyed.

Professor Snape was at the door, gazing coldly at Draco, "And to who exactly was that attitude directed towards Mr. Malfoy?" he asked with a tint of authority.

Draco regretted ever speaking 'Must put a Silencing Spell on Granger.' He thought.

"No one sir, I thought you were Peeves again." He said as if lying was second nature to him, which it was.

Snape raised a curious brow at him and then moved a hand from out of his cloak that held two white envelopes, "These are for you and Ms. Granger from the headmaster."

Draco took them from Snape, "Alright."

"See you at detention." He said smoothly as he then walked away.

Draco stuck his middle finger at Snape's fleeting figure before closing the door.

"I saw that Mr. Malfoy…an extra days detention for you!" Came Snape's voice from down the hall.

Draco put on a look of complete shock and anger, as he then closed the door.

"Bloody Bastard." Draco mumbled.

"Now I know you'd never have the nerve to do that to his face." Hermione said with a mean to anger him.

Draco didn't say anything; he thought he'd snap on her if he did. He simply walked over to her and dropped her letter on the floor in front of her so she'd be inconvenienced to pick it up, "Read it. Its from the headmaster." He replied flatly as he then walked back to his desk and opened his letter the same time she had.

They both began reading the letter with very little interest.

'Yearly activities, oh is that all…wait…what's this he's saying…?' Hermione thought as she continued reading the letter now growing afraid of what was next.

'What a pointless letter…hold on…what's this…?' Draco thought as he too began reading quickly down the letter with a tinge of worry.

When Hermione finished reading she dropped the letter in horror, Draco crumpled his up in his hand. The two of them looked at each other knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

'I don't care what Dumbledore says, I can't…no…I won't…do that!' Hermione thought with a determined look.

'The old man will pay for this. What in the bloody hell makes him think I'll do this!? Ask me to snog with Hagrid instead and I'd probably do it…but this…gods…why?' Draco thought in both anger and miserable shock.

"Just forget it Granger, don't even think for a second that I'd-" Draco began due to the uneasy look Hermione was giving him.

Hermione immediately interrupted, "Oh shut up! I don't want to do this anymore then you do I'm sure! If anything, we'll talk to Dumbledore and clarify this."

Draco looked at her with irritation, "What 'we'? How about 'you'."

Hermione was not in the mood, she rose from her seat with her letter in hand and she stomped over to Draco, "Then you reread the letter and tell me what you're going to do about it!"

Draco snatched the letter from Hermione and rose from his seat so that he was now looking down at her with his silver eyes piercing coldly through her chocolate brown, "I'll think of something." He replied in a low raspy tone.

***********************************************************************

A/N: What the hell was in those letters? What does Dumbledore want them to do? Why are Draco and Hermione so hell bent on not doing it?  Here's something I will say about it, its nothing cliché ok? Alright anyway, is Harry right about why Tonks is teaching DADA this year? What will happen in detention? I love doing this whole question thing lol, it adds effect for me lol. Stupid I know. I hope this chapter wasn't boring! Anyway please, keep reading and keep reviewing and I'll keep updating every Friday! Later!


	7. Dumbledore's Alternative

A/N: Alright first of all don't worry about the cCC kid who said 'your story sux ass!' it was my friend Cristian who put it up there cause he asked me if I got flamed yet and when I told him no, he decided to be stupid and flame me without even reading my fic lol! He's so stupid lol! Anyway, um, I'm so glad so many people enjoy this fic and it seems every time I update I get new readers ^_^

I must give fair warning now, I almost wasn't able to update today. See now that the school year has started I'm going to busy like practically everyday, especially Fridays so I can't promise an update every Friday anymore. I'm real sorry .

But I doubt that it'll be more then two weeks without an update, maybe a week and a half at most hopefully. So don't worry, but I decided to give out fair warning now, before you people go revolutionary on me and want me dead. Though on a much happier note I passed the 100 review mark with chapter 6 ::squeals:: yay I'm so happy! Alright also, I'm asking you readers in your next reviews to evaluate my fic, I'm conducting a survey. On a scale from 1 to 10…10 being the best 1 the worst how would you rate the quality of this fic? Alright, please do that for me, add the number along with your comments please, thank you! Luv you guyz! ~.^

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: ::rolls eyes:: this is so tedious ::sighs:: what do you think? Do you think I really own Harry Potter?

Credits: ::mumbles:: God damn these things…J.K gets the credit ::rolls eyes:: wish it was me!

Thanks too: DanceChic0869, Chach-A-Lot, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, Jazzylady, mila2, noisyamie, Fashiondiva, RAiNbOwMiLK, x.o. iloveyou o.x, hP fAn Fo LyFe, Raven Rosethorn1, psyched, love2045, Pannygirl, The Sarcastic Morbid One, Raye-Rei, Lavender Brown, sweetstar3, wildmage101, Junsui Chikyuu and Earthako for the great reviews! I appreciated all of them.

Chapter 7: **Dumbledore's Alternative**

He sat there staring sightlessly at the flames of his fireplace thinking. Just pondering, how within a little less then a week life has been nothing but misery. The only perk about his hell was a Jacuzzi tub, which he hasn't even taken advantage of yet. He, every girls fantasy, stuck in a room with a brainiac Gryffindor who he wanted nothing more then to be rid of. Why couldn't any other girl be Head Girl, at least he might've had some sort of pleasure by now, instead of painful, sleepless nights of crashing into a bloody invisible wall. And now this…

'Damn fool, why doesn't he just drop dead already? He looks like he's good to do so at any moment! Father cannot know about this, I'll never hear the end of it from him. Or maybe I should tell him so he can stop this madness and perhaps change the order of things around here. Yet after that, I might not ever stop hearing the lectures of the mudblood for bringing father into the matter. I CAN'T WIN EITHER BLOODY WAY!'

Draco continued to just sit there sunk into his chair while Hermione slept. He couldn't sleep; the bloody wall wouldn't let him.

***********************************************************************

Harry was wide-awake; he couldn't sleep. His scar was stinging slightly, and it only brought troubled thoughts to his already troubled mind. He didn't want to talk about his worries with anyone, for if he did, it would only make them more real. Harry hasn't forgotten the prophecy about him and Voldemort and even though he never showed it nor mentioned it since 5th year, it did scare him. Though this was his seventh year, everything was going to happen soon. They had lived in silence for a year already, waiting nervously yet at the same time calmly for Voldemort to attack again, yet nothing so far. Harry's scar never bothered him much throughout the year either, yet ever since he returned to Hogwarts his scar had been starting to hurt again like it had in 5th year.

He wished he could tell Sirius. Talk to the man who was his godfather. Another person Harry had lost to the dark side, what angered Harry the most about Sirius's death was that his own cousin killed him and it happened right in front of his very own eyes. Ever since then Harry had been having moments were he thought he felt Sirius nearby, or that Sirius had come back as a ghost, it only made Harry miss the man more. Harry didn't really show it, but he felt it, he felt the darkness in his heart created from all the loss, pain and hardships he has had to endure in only seventeen years. It made him somewhat distant with his friends, especially with Hermione and Ron who many times had to suffer through his venting.

"Ahhh…wish it would all just stop already!" Harry spat as his scar quickly gave off a hot-white pain, then vanished as quickly as it had come. The echo of Voldemort's sickening laughter was ringing clear in his head, then slowly quieted like the pain from his scar.

The war was coming, it was all being staged and planned right now. Dumbledore knew it, he was sure of that due to Tonks being the DADA Professor and all. The only thing that troubled Harry was, what would happen to him and his friends once it all begins? Would he die? Would he live? What would happen to Ron and Hermione, would they die or would they live? It all frightened him, and he had to suffer it alone. He couldn't bring himself to telling them anymore, he could tell they enjoyed not worrying about anything and when he brought up another theory he could see the look of fear and distress on them. He knew that perhaps he shouldn't tell them about the strange dreams he has been having lately, both when asleep and awake. He didn't know what they were or why he was having them, they never showed him clear things…was it worth mentioning and then worrying his friends? No it wasn't…if anything, he would face the rest alone. His friends have done more then enough for him, now it was time to face the future alone for it was his name in the prophecy not Ron or Hermione's. He even wished to keep Neville out of harm and Harry felt a connection with Neville, technically they both lost their parents and it was one of them that was to be in the prophecy.  

Harry stroked Hedwig's back gently as he looked out the window and up at the full blue moon, he was afraid.

The Boy Who Lived was also The Boy Who Wished He Had Died.

***********************************************************************

Hermione stirred lightly as her alarm clock went of at 7:00 as usual. She opened her eyes to find an empty space where Draco usually was. She saw his school robes were gone from the closet as was his bag and books.

'He already left, well, better for me.' She thought as she got up and rubbed the sleep out of her tired eyes as strands of her chocolate brown hair fell in front of her face. She got up from her bed to find the letter Dumbledore had sent her and Draco last night, she suddenly frowned.

'I need to talk with Dumbledore today and see if I can perhaps clear up the matter. Hopefully I'll be able to, for my life would be a complete nightmare later on if I can't.'

***********************************************************************

Professor Dumbledore later that day after classes was in his office, when his spiral staircase started turning and bringing up with it Professor Snape and to no surprise of Dumbledore's, Draco Malfoy.

Dumbledore looked at the two through his half-moon spectacles as they both got off the stairs. 

"Ah, Professor, what is it I can do for you?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

Snape looked from Dumbledore over to Draco who had a smug look on his face, "It's not me who needs to speak with you Headmaster, its young Mr. Malfoy here that does."

Dumbledore, looked over at Draco, "Very well, you may go Professor Snape thank you."

Snape nodded and left the room back down the spiraling stairs.

Draco then looked back at Dumbledore who pressed his fingertips together and sat back in his chair, "Care to sit Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco looked at the chair in front of him as if it was diseased, 'Take a seat for the old git, I'd rather go through the Cruciatus Curse three times in a day.'

Draco then glanced back up at Dumbledore, "I'll stand."

Dumbledore nodded, "Very well, so what is it exactly Mr. Malfoy you wish to speak to me about?"

Draco casually slipped out the letter from his robes and carelessly tossed it onto Dumbledore's desk, Dumbledore glanced at it and smiled up at Draco who held a frown.

"I don't agree with that letter of yours." Draco said bitterly, glaring coldly at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore picked up the letter and looked it over, while still looking over the letter he asked, "What exactly do you have a problem with?"

Draco looked at Dumbledore surprised that he couldn't figure it out, "You know exactly what I mean, you blood-…Headmaster." Draco strained, nearly forgetting his place.

Dumbledore smirked as he stared at Draco, "Something about the School Tournament?" Dumbledore asked, intentionally testing the young Slytherins patience.

Draco clenched his jaw holding back words of insult dying to come out. He looked down to hold back his anger and frustration and then glanced back at Dumbledore heavily restraining himself from possibly getting himself expelled, "About the ball Professor."

"Oh yes, do you not think it is not appropriate to have?" Dumbledore asked again attempting to play dumb.

Draco bit his lip, not even realizing that it was a gesture of Hermione's whenever she got nervous. 'The man is seriously trying my patience! Is he so bloody daft that he can't see that I'm protesting about the insufferable Gryffindor mudblood!?'

Draco let out a big sigh as he tried to calm down, though his pale cheeks were becoming slightly flushed with anger, "No-Headmaster-that's-not-it."

Dumbledore chuckled, much to Draco's displeasure as he glared at the old wizard sharply. 

'Perhaps I should just tell the boy what he wants to hear. Though it has been quiet fun seeing how well he can control his temper.' Dumbledore thought, with a grin.

"Then I'm assuming its something about you and Ms. Granger having to open the ball together?"

Draco looked up at the ceiling in gratitude that the man wasn't a total loss, 'There is some justice in this world after all.' Draco thought as he looked back down at Dumbledore.

Draco was so tired from holding back his anger that he didn't have the strength at the moment to speak back, so he simply nodded still looking at Dumbledore sharply.

Dumbledore nodded, "Well, what is your problem with it Mr. Malfoy? Is having to be partners for the night such an impossible thing for you?"

Draco scoffed, "Distasteful, unthinkable, nauseating, and degrading is more like it."

Dumbledore smirked, "I'm sorry you feel that way Mr. Malfoy."

Draco raised a disbelieving brow up at him, "What do you mean, you feel sorry? Are you saying you won't change it!?"

Dumbledore raised his hand to Draco, "Not with you raising your voice like that."

Draco mumbled under his breath something about, 'Bloody git' and 'My father'.

"Why on earth not? I can't stand the blood-…the witch…I would be completely and totally miserable the entire time." Draco protested.

Dumbledore sighed, "I'm sorry for you Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore began as Draco narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore, "Yet, you should know that every ball we have the Head Boy and Girl are required to go together, open the ball and dance the first dance together along with the prefects and here at Hogwarts we do not break tradition, especially not for petty feuds between a Head Boy and Girl."

Draco tightened his fists, "I don't see why not! I can pick a girl to go with, that's easy, and Granger can go with her cat. It would all work out."

Dumbledore found this all extremely amusing, "Well as Head Boy certain sacrifices must be made on your part Mr. Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes, "You can't be serious? I don't make sacrifices."

"Well now you do."

Draco could not believe the unbelievable rotten luck he was having lately, He then looked at Dumbledore, "Well, that still leaves me with my problem."

Dumbledore glanced at the handsome young Slytherin, who looked very displeased and ready to jump out the window. 

"Well…I suppose I can make this a less tragic event for you by perhaps adding a few things, if you like?" Dumbledore said.

Draco raised a suspicious brow up at Dumbledore, "Like what?"

***********************************************************************

About a half hour after Draco left Dumbledore's office feeling a slight bit less angry then he had when he had first come to see Dumbledore. 

Dumbledore was at his desk signing some papers from the Ministry of Magic, when the spiraling staircase started spinning again and he looked up and saw Professor McGonagall standing there with Hermione.

Dumbledore smiled, "Yes Professor, what is it?"

"Its not me Professor, its Ms. Granger, she would like a word."

Dumbledore nodded and smiled, "Alright, thank you Professor you may leave now."

Hermione looked at Dumbledore and smiled, "Hello headmaster, I hope I'm not bothering you, am I?"

"Not at all Ms. Granger, I've actually just finished talking with Mr. Malfoy a short while ago." Dumbledore said smiling at the look of surprise on Hermione's face after hearing about Draco.

"Really? That's, um, strange." Hermione replied as she took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"So what is it you would like to talk to me about Ms. Granger?"

Hermione bit her lip nervously as she looked up at Dumbledore, "Well, Headmaster its about the letters you gave to me and Malfoy last night."

Dumbledore nodded, as he glanced at her through his half-moon spectacles, "Oh I see. Well go on."

Hermione smiled faintly, "Well, you see sir, its about me and Malfoy having to go to the ball together and all that. I mean, not to be rude or anything sir, its just that is it really necessary?"

Dumbledore chuckled, "You two must hate each other more then I thought."

Hermione's brows contracted together in confusion, "Sir?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Ms. Granger, I am sorry but these plans cannot be changed."

Hermione looked down in disappointment, "Oh, I see. Its just that I don't want to go with Malfoy, he's so obnoxious, stuck up, loathsome, completely unpleasant, irritating and not exactly my first choice to go to the ball with, if you see where I'm coming from sir."

Dumbledore nodded, "I do see where you are coming from Ms.Granger do not doubt that. Its just that, this school cannot change traditions due to a Head Boy and Girl disliking each other."

Hermione sighed disappointed and began getting up from her seat, "Well, alright then."

"Wait a moment Ms. Granger," Dumbledore began as Hermione paused in the middle of getting up, she glanced at Dumbledore, "If you dislike going with Mr. Malfoy so much, would you want me to perhaps make it so that it would seem like you wouldn't be with Mr. Malfoy that night?"

Hermione raised a curious eyebrow at him, "What exactly do you have in mind Headmaster?"

"A masked ball, of course."

***********************************************************************

A few minutes before midnight when detention was scheduled for, Harry and Ron left the Gryffindor common to start heading towards the main stairway, yawning as they went.

"I hope I don't have to polish trophy's with Filch again." Ron said as they turned a corner.

Harry smirked, "Well seeing as Snape is in charge of this whole thing, I'm afraid to even think what exactly he'll make me do."

Just then Harry's scar gave him a pain unlike any other, Harry felt as though his head would crack open in half. He fell to the floor putting a hand over his scar wincing in pain and refusing to scream.

Ron got on a knee and put a hand on Harry's back, waiting for the pain to pass through Harry. Once it finally had, Harry moved his hand away from his scar and his eyes widened as he saw blood dripping down his hand.

Ron's eyes widened as he looked at Harry, "Harry…your scar…it's bleeding."

"What?" Harry said as he wiped more blood away from his scar.

Ron looked at Harry with fear, "Harry, did…I mean…bloody…god Harry."

Ron couldn't say anything; he had never seen this happen before. Yet neither had Harry, this had never hurt so bad before and his scar never bled before.

"We have to wait till it stops bleeding before we go on." Ron said as he took a handkerchief out of his robes and began wiping the blood away from Harry's scar. Harry was silent the whole time; he was scared…what was he to do? Should he tell Dumbledore?

"Thanks Ron." Harry finally managed to say.

"Anytime mate," Ron began, "You need to tell Dumbledore."

Harry sighed and shook his head, "Not tonight, let's just serve detention and if anything tell him tomorrow."

***********************************************************************

Draco arrived at detention with Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise. He didn't bother going to his room the rest of the day, he  only went after class to drop off his bag and books, then he spent the rest of the day with Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise.

Soon after they arrived, Harry and Ron arrived.

None of them said anything to each other, probably cause none of them wanted to be there. Within five minutes Hermione had arrived, putting a piece of parchment in her robes.

"Where were you all day Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at him, "Library."

"Till midnight?" Harry asked rubbing his scar.

"Harry you ok? Your scar hurt?" Hermione whispered ignoring Harry's question.

Harry quickly put his hand away from his scar, "Just itched."

After that Professor Snape came down the stairs followed by Mr. Filch and Ms. Norris, when he reached them at the landing he said, "Glad you could all make it, I could sense your enthusiasm from upstairs."

Everyone frowned.

Snape formed a half smirk at their miserable faces. Just then the front doors opened and in came Hagrid with a lantern and Fang at his side.

"Ah, Hagrid…so glad you weren't late." Snape said in a dry sarcastic tone.

Hagrid nodded, "'Allo Professor."

"So what exactly are we doing for detention?" Draco said with obvious hints of annoyance and anger lacing his voice.

Snape looked at the blonde, "You'll see soon enough Mr. Malfoy."

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A/N: Yes another cliffe, I had to do it. It makes the story more enjoyable lol. Anyway, ok, yes what will Snape have the seven of them do that requires the presence of Filch and Hagrid? Why did Harry's scar bleed? Will Draco and Hermione ever fall in love? LoL, not for a while, lol but when they do it'll be HOTT! So anyway please read and review and don't forget to rate the story from 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 the best! Thanks again, bye! ^_^


	8. Detention

A/N: Alright, what is going to go down in this chapter, is a very essential part of the fic, you may not see why when your done reading it, but eventually you WILL see why and understand why I did what I did in this chapter. Though I will say right now, I didn't want to do it, I REALLY didn't want to do it, I don't like stuff related to what I did…but I did it anyway cause it needed to happen. The reason why is because it was planned out in my head when I got the idea for the fic, plus its purpose is fairly original…eventually you'll know why, if you haven't figured it out by the end of the chapter.

Furthermore, I love your enthusiasm for the fic! I smile with every review! Also I'd like to thank you for the ratings and your honesty it was much appreciated. ^_^ And to all those readers that just read and don't review, I hope you guys like my fic and aren't reviewing simply cause your lazy like I am which is cool and not cause you hate it. What else…um…oh yea you might want to kill me after this chapter, but I ask that you realize this is not the last chapter lol. Draco and Hermione still need to get together first, please don't forget that! LoL ^_^; 

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: Do I really need to say? You know the answer already.

Credits: Same as Disclaimer people you know this.

Thanks too: sweetstar3, hP fAn Fo LyFe, super sycoh, DanceChic0869, Arwen, RaiNbOwMiLK, Earthako, Arwen1011, love2045, me, TN-Chic101, Chelwad, SnOgFeSt, ktw, mandarinn orange, Pannygirl, Tristanlover59, wildmage101, SodapopC, Raye-Rei, Lavender Brown, anonymous, bad-ass-angel, violentdelight, noisyamie, koishii-glory and BLu EmeRaLd for the awesome reviews! ^_^

Chapter 8: **Detention Night**

Snape looked around at the seven seventh years who looked less then thrilled to be there, some even looked like they were plotting to kill him, especially Draco. Snape merely put on half a smirk.

"Since there are seven of you I'll split you up," he began as you heard mumbles from the seven teens, "Goyle, Crabbe and Weasley, you three will go with Mr. Filch to the trophy room and help him clean for the night."

Ron could not believe his luck, this was the second time this happens to him. He looked over at Harry with a look of disbelief; Harry merely shrugged and put on a semi supportive look.

"Alright, you three worthless lumps of flesh, follow me, we're in for a fun night of torturous servitude." Filch muttered with an evil grin, as he lead Ron, Crabbe and Goyle up the stairs and they looked much less than thrilled.

"Alright, Malfoy and Potter," Snape began as Harry and Draco's eyes widened in horror, Snape merely smirked, "You two will go with Hagrid into the Dark Forest, you will help him settle some business."

"Are you serious?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"Quite serious Mr. Malfoy, is there a problem?" Snape asked crisply.

Draco clenched his fists at his sides, "Possibly."

"Well for your sake Mr. Malfoy, I certainly hope not." Snape replied dryly.

Draco rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and walked away from Snape towards Hagrid, Harry glared at Snape before following Hagrid and Draco out the door completely upset that the one thing he didn't want happened, he got paired with Malfoy.

The only two left were Blaise and Hermione.

"As for you two, I will lead you down to the dungeons, there you will clean and set up a new Potions class for tomorrow. So follow me." Snape said as he glided past the two, they then followed him down to the cold dungeons.

Snape opened the wooden door that creaked as it opened, magically a few torches on the walls of the room lit up and a few candles on the shelves lit up for them as well. There were boxes and cobwebs everywhere, tables overturned and chairs overturned and buckets of water and mops to clean the floor and rags to wipe off the accumulating dust on all the furniture.

Hermione looked at it all in horror, "Professor, you can't possibly expect us to finish all this by tonight can you?"

Snape glanced down at her, "I certainly do, and if you can't finish it tonight, there's always tomorrow night."

Blaise hardly seemed to notice the mess; his mind seemed to have been focused on something else all together. Snape glanced at him and didn't show his curiosity towards Blaise's distant expression as if his chore for the night didn't bother him.

"I'll leave you two to work, I'll be back at dawn."

***********************************************************************

Harry, Draco and Hagrid had just passed into the Dark Forest, Hagrid carried one lantern and Draco the other, neither of them had their wands. Draco felt the fear from his first year coming right back to him, the last time he was here during his first year he was scared away by a Unicorn Blood Drinking Evil Shadow Creature as he has always described it. At the slightest sound of something he would move the lantern in that direction. Harry looked at Draco with a tinge of humor, due to his obvious attempt at trying not to laugh.

"So Hagrid, where exactly are we going?" Harry asked, trying to keep himself from laughing at Draco.

"Well, Harry, we're goin' to visit Firenze." Hagrid said not looking back at Harry but continuing to walk forward.

"Who's that?" Draco asked absently as he checked for a noise behind him with the lantern.

"A friend of Headmaster Dumbledore and all of us at Hogwarts." Hagrid replied with a slightly harsh tone, for obviously Draco was never one of his favorite students, especially since third year.

***********************************************************************

Hermione and Blaise were left alone by Snape, and Hermione immediately proceeded towards the rags, "Shall we get rid of dust first, or turn the tables and chairs back upright?"

Blaise seemed to be thinking of something totally different, due to his distant look.

"Blaise?" Hermione said.

Blaise looked over at her, seeming to now be paying attention.

"Did you hear what I had said?" She asked.

Blaise shook his head lightly, "No what was it?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Do you want to dust first, or turn the tables and chairs back upright?"

"Which ever." He said nonchalantly.

Hermione sighed, 'This is going to be a long night.'

***********************************************************************

Harry, Draco and Hagrid had been walking for about an hour.

"I can hardly see anything anymore, this bloody lamp isn't doing a damn good thing anymore!" Draco said in a rather loud tone, as they just stopped walking and stood in smoky blue darkness.

Hagrid sighed and rolled his eyes, "Jus' shut ap! We're here."

Suddenly the sound of breaking twigs was heard and through the smoky air, the figure of an animal half man and half horse came towards them, with hair the color of Draco's and crystal blue eyes.

"'Allo Firenze." Hagrid said as he shook hands with the centaur.

"Hello Hagrid, I see you have company." Firenze said glancing at Harry and Draco who looked at him in slight awe, Draco tried to look uninterested, but he couldn't deny how fascinating it was to see such a creature.

'Well despite all that, the human female is still my favorite creature.' Draco thought with a devious smirk.

"Hello Harry Potter," Firenze began as Harry merely grinned, "Your name is often mentioned in the forest now, your time approaches."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Firenze shook his head, "Some things not all ears are meant to hear."

Harry then noticed Firenze look over at Draco and he then understood.

"I imagine Firenze tha' you know why Dumbledore has sent me here?" Hagrid said sounding the way he always sounded when he was on 'Official Hogwarts Business'.

Firenze nodded, "I do," he began as he then handed Hagrid a piece of parchment, "everything he needs to know is there. Though one thing Hagrid you need to come with me for, if it's alright to leave the other two here for a moment."

Hagrid nodded, "Course it is Firenze, lead me to it."

Draco looked at Hagrid with a disbelieving brow raised, "Your leaving us in the middle of this black forest, alone!?"

Hagrid nodded, "Your with Harry and Fang, you'll be fine."

"But you said Fang is a bloody coward!" Draco spat in protest.

"I'll be back shortly, watch him Harry make him feel calm. I'll be back shortly." Hagrid said as he then followed Firenze through a curtain of misty smoke and shortly vanished.

"Stuck in this bloody forest with you Potter, my year just keeps getting better and better!" Draco shouted in sarcastic protest.

"Oh save it Malfoy! Your not the only one with bloody problems!" Harry shouted back.

"Just do me a favor Potter and don't talk for the rest of the night." Draco mumbled as he lifted his lantern back up in attempt to gaze into the darkness.

'Stuck with Malfoy, I feel real bad for Hermione. She has to sleep with him every night…wait that didn't sound right.' Harry thought as he petted Fang on the head.

***********************************************************************

Hermione and Blaise had turned all the tables and chairs upright again, and they were a quarter of the way done with the dusting.

"So, how's life with Malfoy?" Blaise asked from across the room.

Hermione looked over at him, "As unpleasant as this detention maybe even a little more unpleasant."

Blaise smirked, "So I've been told."

Hermione's brows contracted together in confusion, "What do you mean? You've spoken to Malfoy on the matter?"

Blaise shrugged, "Somewhat."

Blaise started walking over to her, "Somewhat? What was said?" she asked.

"How much he hates sharing a room with you and all." He replied tossing his rag on a desk.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I should've known."

"Though to be perfectly honest, if I was him, I wouldn't feel that way." Blaise said with a smirk, as he gazed at Hermione.

Hermione looked at him slightly puzzled, "You can't be serious?"

"I'm very serious. If I was him I'd enjoy the fact that I'd have someone like you to share a room with." He replied walking a bit closer to her.

Hermione started to feel a bit uneasy, "Why's that?"

Blaise was now right in front of her, "You have what I like…and what I want."

Hermione took a step back, "I'm flattered really, but Slytherins…are just not my type."

Blaise shrugged coolly, "Can't have little things like that matter now can we?"

Hermione didn't know what to do; Blaise was coming on extremely strong. She didn't like the look he was giving her, as if he was ravaging her in her mind.

"I think we should get back to work." Hermione replied hesitantly.

"I don't think so."

***********************************************************************

Harry was sitting on a nearby rock with Fang while Draco was pacing, getting more and more restless with being out there as the candle in the lantern was running out.

"Malfoy, I think the dirt you've been pacing on has sunk three inches." Harry said amused.

Draco stopped and glared at him, "Your lucky I don't have my wand on me Potter."

"Or what? You going to do Avada Kedavra on me?" Harry replied.

Draco narrowed his eyes at him, "I'll do you one better Potter, I'd place the Imperius Curse on Granger and then have her do Avada Kedavra on you, that way you can die thinking your little mudblood killed you in cold blood."

Harry got a sudden chill at the thought. 

He never had the idea enter his mind before; Hermione killing him in cold blood? That was just something too horrible for even nightmares.

Draco saw the effect he had on Harry and he smirked.

"Hermione would never do that Malfoy." Harry finally managed to say.

Draco raised a brow of interest at the comment, "Oh really? I can make anyone do whatever I want if I use the right curse or spell."

"Hermione would never let you get close enough to her to do anything." Harry replied coldly.

Draco smirked, "I'd bet anything your right, but don't forget Potter, I'm Draco Malfoy and I have many ways with which to handle women."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the tall handsome blonde, "I bet you do, and I pity them all but you'll never have anything over Hermione. She'd die first."

Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry, as Hagrid suddenly appeared with a small brown sack he casually placed in his pocket.

"Alright, ready to go?" Hagrid said as he walked towards them.

"Yes." Harry replied.

"It was about bloody time, it's nearly three in the morning." Draco said in his usual manner.

Hagrid rolled his eyes and ignored the Slytherin as they began walking back towards Hogwarts.

Harry was curious as to what Firenze had given Hagrid, but he decided it would be wise to not ask in front of Draco, for there was no telling what he would say to his father.

***********************************************************************

Hermione awoke to find herself on the floor, 'How'd I end up on the floor?' she thought. As she looked around her bringing her vision into focus, she was still in the same room, and Blaise was looking over her.

She somehow found her voice, "What happened to me? Did I faint?"

Blaise shook his head; "You fell from that stool over there as you were cleaning a shelf."

Hermione nodded with a frown, "I did? I don't remember?"

Just then Hermione felt a slight pain in between her legs, 'Why am I hurting down there?'

"You ok Granger? It was a nasty fall. I almost decided to bring you to the hospital wing." Blaise said helping her up.

Hermione's legs felt a bit like jelly, "I don't think I need to go to the hospital wing. I'm sure I'll be fine. I just wish I could remember what happened."

Blaise looked at her, his face was flushed and slightly sweaty, "You mean you can't remember talking to me and then falling off the stool?"

Hermione shook her head, "I don't remember being on a stool."

She then looked at her robes and shirt they were wrinkled and her hair was disheveled, she also felt that her panties weren't up all the way.

"Would you mind turning around a moment." Hermione said.

Blaise nodded and turned around while Hermione lifted her panties up all the way, it was then she saw a few drops of dried up blood on her thigh, 'What happened to me?'

"You done?" Blaise asked nonchalantly.

"Y-Yes, I'm finished." Hermione replied hesitantly.

She then noticed that the room wasn't done. Just then Snape had walked in.

"It looks like you two shall be here another night. Perhaps you'll manage to perform a miracle and finish the room by then?" Snape said dryly.

He then noticed how Hermione looked all flushed and drowsy, her hair was disheveled and her clothes weren't tidy, even Blaise was looking flushed and sweaty and his robes were a bit wrinkled.

'What on earth went on in here?' Snape thought.

"May we leave now Professor?" Blaise asked quickly.

Snape nodded with a frown, "Go, be in here at midnight, to finish."

They both walked out, but Hermione seemed to walk out as if she was in some sort of discomfort.

"Ms. Granger is there a problem with your legs?" Snape asked.

Hermione looked up at him not in the mood for his sarcasm or bitter remarks, "No sir, just tired is all."

***********************************************************************

Hermione walked into her room to find Draco sleeping. 

For some reason Hermione felt exhausted but didn't wish to sleep. She was too concerned with why she couldn't remember falling off the stool and hitting her head, the way Blaise said had happened.

She couldn't understand why there was dried up blood on her inner thighs, she couldn't understand why her womanhood hurt her slightly and why she was all disheveled looking.

'What happened to me?' She thought, and then decided to for the first time use the Jacuzzi tub and relax in attempts to feel better.

Meanwhile in the Slytherin common room, Blaise walked into his dormitory, to find Crabbe and Goyle had just got in from cleaning the trophy room with Filch.

"How was your night Zabini?" Goyle asked sleepily.

Blaise smirked, "It was quite fun actually."

Goyle and Crabbe looked at Blaise confused, "How was detention fun for you? It was a nightmare for us."

Blaise smirked, "Just between us three, I had accidentally forgotten to leave my wand here last night, so I decided to use that to my advantage when I got paired with the Gryffindor Head Girl," Blaise began as he removed his wand from his robe, "So, I decided to have a little fun with her, and when I was finished I put a Memory Charm on her so she wouldn't remember a thing."

Crabbe and Goyle put on stupid grins, "You learned that trick from Draco didn't you?"

Blaise nodded, "Of course. Tonight I have detention with her again…and it'll be even better then last night I'm sure."

"Did she willingly have 'fun' with you? Cause don't she hate Slytherins?" Goyle asked.

Blaise shrugged, "She hates us naturally so obviously she wasn't willing, she put up quite a fight actually. So I had no choice but to put the Imperius Curse on her, after that she continued willingly and without any memory of it. So she can't accuse me of a thing. I give Malfoy credit for telling me some of his tricks."

***********************************************************************

Draco got up at 7:00 to find Hermione putting on her school robe.

He wasn't in such a bad mood simply cause for the first time since he had been back to Hogwarts he got over an hour of sleep.

Hermione turned to face him, and he paused to look at her and raised a suspicious brow at her.

"How was your detention with Harry?" Hermione asked.

Draco shrugged, "Loathsome, and yours with Zabini?"

Hermione shrugged, "Alright I guess, up until I blanked out and only remember waking up on the floor. Apparently Blaise said I had fallen off a stool while cleaning and hit my head."

Draco chuckled, "Wish I could've been there to see that."

Hermione scowled at him, "I hate you."

"I know I know." Draco replied casually.

"Ms. McGonagall came by earlier this morning, she said Dumbledore requires us to meet him in his office after class today, his password is, 'Chocolate Frogs'." Hermione said, as she then grabbed her bags and books and left the room.

Draco fell back on his bed, "Is it just me, or does Granger look a little different?" he said to himself quietly, as he then shrugged not caring too much about her and began getting ready.

***********************************************************************

A/N: I'm horrible, a part of me didn't want to do that to Hermione, but it had to be done…it's a very key part of the fic. I hate doing scenes like that, but it REALLY did have to be done. So anyway, what did Firenze give Hagrid? And what does Dumbledore want to see Draco and Hermione for? Oh and now comes the time when there will be more Draco and Hermione interaction ^_^ something even I'm a little impatient for lol cause I want to see them in love too lol. Please read and review and I'll update again same time as always, bye! Draco and Hermione forever!!!!!


	9. Bad Dream

A/N: I love how everyone wants to kill Blaise lol. I want to kill him to and even though I do have that power sadly he isn't dying lol, but sometimes its more fun to see other things happen besides death right ::grins evilly:: if you guys get my drift. But I'm glad that you guys are taking what Blaise did in somewhat easy strides lol, heavy on the somewhat lol. Don't worry, I won't say that everything is going to start being all nice and better right away but EVENTUALLY everything will be cool! So you'll have to keep reading to get there lol! ^_^ Also the chapters are going to start getting longer cause we're coming to that point in the fic where things start to get complicated lol! So for people who like long chapters, you're getting your wish.

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: ::bangs head on wall:: I ::thud:: Own ::thud:: Nothing! ::thud:: Ouch!

Credits: ::credit music begins to play:: The lovely and talented Ms. J.K Rowling, who with her ingeniously creative and imaginative mind managed to bring us the world of Harry Potter and most importantly, the hott, sexy and god-like Draco Malfoy! ^_^ Thank you! ::credit music stops playing::

Thanks Too: sweetstar3, Chach-A-Lot, ToOtHpIcK, super sycoh, Riley17, noisyamie, Cheese Master77, Tristanlover59, Raye-Rei, sweet-77-thang, koishii-glory, paprika90, DanceChic0869, Befuzzled, hP fAn Fo LyFe, La Lucida Luna, overXposed, Earthako, Chelwad, Betty, Mila, Pannygirl, Pyrope, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, annabelle, SodapopC, RAiNbOwMiLK, Lavender Brown, SnOgFeSt, wildmage101 and Junsui Chikyuu for the awesome reviews!

Chapter 9: **Bad Dream**

Hermione went into the Great Hall; she spotted Harry and Ron and quickly walked over to them and sat down.

"Hey Mione, you're a little early." Ron said taking a bite of his toast.

Hermione shrugged, "Never went to sleep last night."

Ron and Harry frowned, "Why not?" Harry asked.

"Detention ran late for me. Zabini and I were supposed to clean up an entire Potions Class that looked like it hadn't been used in years." Hermione said as she conjured up her daily cup of tea.

"So what happened? You finished cleaning?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head lightly, "No, apparently I…well…fell off a stool while dusting and hit my head and got knocked out for a few hours. I didn't wake up till five minutes before dawn when Snape was supposed to come back and get us."

"You fell off a stool? You ok?" Ron asked looking at Hermione as if searching for any visible injuries.

"I'm fine. I told Malfoy what had happened, he simply laughed and said he wished he could've been there to see it." Hermione said rolling her eyes in exasperation and sipping her tea.

"Speaking of the git, how'd your detention with him go Harry?" Ron asked, eating porridge.

Harry shrugged, "As awful as it always is being near him and his narcissistic self. Except the fact that he was a bloody coward practically in the forest made the night bearable." Harry said with a grin.

"Yea, who could forget him back in first year." Ron said with a chuckle.

"So what went on in the forest?" Hermione asked looking up at them from her cup of tea.

"Hagrid brought Malfoy and I to see Firenze," Harry began as he saw the intrigue on Hermione and Ron's faces, "Apparently it was 'Official Hogwarts Business…very personal like' and well Firenze had something for Dumbledore on a parchment, and then he asked Hagrid to go with him somewhere. After about an hour Hagrid came back and put whatever Firenze had given him in his pocket."

"You know what it is Harry?" Ron asked wide-eyed.

Harry shook his head, "Not at all. Though it must be something very important since neither Hagrid nor Firenze wanted to mention much in front of Malfoy."

"Good sense of caution on their parts, they know Malfoy would turn tail and head to his father and tell him whatever he could." Ron said with a huff.

"Probably." Harry replied.

"How was your detention with Filch Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron suddenly put on a look of 'I'd like to forget that now', "Cleaned a thousand bloody trophy's, we mopped everything, swept everything, dusted and washed everything until you could practically see your own reflection."

"We have Quidditch practice today Ron, you think you can still grasp your broomstick?" Harry asked with humor lacing his voice.

Ron narrowed his eyes at him, "I think I'll manage."

**************************************************************************

Draco walked into the Great Hall to find Hermione there talking with Harry and Ron. For some reason that he couldn't seem to shake, Hermione looked different to him in a way that struck him as familiar. But what in the bloody hell was it?

Draco walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down grabbing a slice of toast. Crabbe and Goyle sat by him.

"How was detention with Potter?" Crabbe asked with his mouth full.

Draco rolled his eyes; he didn't feel like yelling at Crabbe about eating with his mouth full today.

"It was detention…what do you think?" Draco asked with an annoyed look.

"Bad?" Crabbe replied hesitantly.

Draco smirked and playfully slapped Crabbe's chubby cheek, in reply.

Just then they saw Blaise walk in and sit over with some other Slytherins a few people down from them.

"I wonder how Zabini's night went with Granger, besides her falling off a stool." Draco said looking intently at Blaise.

"He said he had fun." Crabbe said absently.

Goyle elbowed him in the ribs, "You weren't supposed to say anything." He whispered.

Draco raised a curious brow at the two of them, "What did Zabini tell you? And if you lie to me, I'll know."

Crabbe and Goyle looked nervous, "He told us not to say."

Draco glared at them impatiently, "Well, I'm making you tell me."

Goyle sighed in defeat, "He told us about his detention. That it wasn't so bad."

Draco looked at them strangely, "Wasn't so bad? He was with Granger, she fell off a stool, how could it not-" Draco froze in mid-sentence as he remembered back to a few days ago when Blaise had said, he was physically attracted to Granger.

Draco looked over at him and got up, "Oi! Zabini!"

Blaise looked up at Draco, as he approached him, "Yea Malfoy?"

Draco sat in front of him as he shoved a few others aside, "How was your detention last night?"

Blaise looked over at Crabbe and Goyle, 'The loud mouths, what did they tell him?'

"Don't look at them…I'm the one talking to you Zabini. What went on in detention last night?" Draco said with a piercing cold gaze, which frightened Blaise slightly.

"Nothing, we spent the night cleaning."

Draco didn't move an inch nor change his cold expression, "Really? That was all?"

Blaise nodded, "Yea, oh and also she fell off a stool, figures a Gryffindor managed that." He said with a fake smirk, which Draco caught.

Draco did a fake chuckle, Blaise was lying, he knew it, yet how it was odd cause Hermione did say she fell off a stool, but then again she said she never remembered it happening, "You lying to me Zabini?"

Blaise gulped, "No."

Draco nodded, "Hope so."

"Well what's it matter to you Malfoy? You said you don't like her at all." Blaise said accusingly.

Draco looked back at Blaise as he was about to walk away, "It doesn't," he began with a confident lie unnoticed by Blaise, "I just don't like being lied to. Cause if I'm lied to, I manage to do a lot worse things back to those who've lied to me, cause no one and I do mean no one makes a fool of me."

Blaise hid his fear, "I'll remember that."

**************************************************************************

Draco walked to class with Crabbe and Goyle, 'Something doesn't add up. Zabini says Granger fell, even Granger said she fell, but it doesn't add up. Someone is lying. Yet why does it bloody matter to me? I got my own things to think about.'

In DADA, Draco sat down next to Hermione. He merely glanced a look over at her as she got her books out and he then looked towards the front of the room where Tonks had just entered.

"Hello class." Tonks said cheerily.

Draco scoffed, 'And she's my relation, the shame.'

"I would like it for everyone to please open their books to chapter 5, this chapter gives you in full detail the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, how to perform it, and how to defend yourself against it. I want you all to take down the key notes, and then tomorrow we'll have demonstrations on some spiders." She said as she glanced over at Draco, before sitting down.

Draco caught her glance and rolled his eyes.

**************************************************************************

After classes were over that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione approached the Gryffindor common room.

"We're up to the Cruciatus Curse in DADA, something is up I say." Ron said.

Harry shrugged; he didn't want to get into such things with them anymore, "Well perhaps we should just not worry about it for now."

Ron and Hermione frowned, "Why not?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. Let's just not focus on that too much right now ok?" Harry replied.

"Alright." Hermione and Ron said in unison.

"Well, I have to go see Dumbledore now, he wishes to speak with me and Malfoy."

"About what?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Don't know. Though one thing I do know is that the first ball of the year will be a masked ball." Hermione said with a smile, for the thought excited her somewhat.

"Well that's clever." Ron said not sounding too enthusiastic about the idea.

"Right, well…I got to go. Maybe you should start deciding who you're going to have as a date." Hermione said as she waved and left.

"This is going to be like the Yule ball all over again." Ron said with a sigh.

Harry shook his head, "No you must think positive Ron, I already am, I mean at least I don't have to do some ridiculous grand entrance or anything like before. Besides this time around I think I know who I want to have as a date."

"Who?" Ron asked.

Harry grinned, "Maybe I'll tell you later."

**************************************************************************

Hermione approached the gargoyle statue to find Draco leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed.

"About time you got here." He replied with his normal attitude.

Hermione ignored him, as she approached the statue, "Why didn't you go in?" She asked.

"Maybe cause I forgot the password that you gave me." He replied wisely.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Shows that you have the memory capacity of peanut."

He looked at her with a sneer, "Are you sure your not referring to yourself?"

Hermione had had enough, "Chocolate Frogs."

The statue began to spiral up and the two of them got on the stairs.

Dumbledore saw the two of them enter his office, "Ah, welcome, please sit."

Hermione sat down looking slightly annoyed still and Draco merely looked at his chair in disapproval.

"Is there a problem Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

Draco shrugged, "I think I'll stand."

"Oh but I insist," Dumbledore began as he made a gesture to the chair, and suddenly Draco was pulled down to sit in the chair by some invisible force, "that you sit."

Draco glared at the man, "Your too kind." He replied sarcastically.

"Anyhow, onto why I wished to speak with the two of you. Two reasons, the first is to let you know that the ball is next Friday night and the theme is of the Medieval period, one of our world's most golden ages, it is also the age in which Hogwarts was founded. You must make sure that students are clear on the proper attire and so on. Also there will be one rehearsal on Thursday evening for your entrance with the prefects and the opening dance," He began as he pulled out a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, "Care for some?"

Hermione smiled, "No thank you."

"You care for some Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked moving the box in his direction.

Draco shook his head and looked at the beans as if they were poisonous slugs, "Don't believe so."

Dumbledore shrugged, "Very well. Is the first thing I said understood by you two?"

They both looked at each other and then nodded at Dumbledore, "Yes." They replied.

"Alright, the second matter of business is not usually something we bring a Head Boy and Girl into, but seeing as how its such a delicate situation…well…I thought perhaps it would be the best thing to do seeing as how Professor Snape refuses to handle it again this year." Dumbledore replied looking at them through his half-moon spectacles.

"Well what is it Professor?" Hermione asked.

"Tomorrow I need you and Mr. Malfoy, to conduct a class for our second year students." Dumbledore replied.

Draco looked a bit uneasy; "It wouldn't be that 'other' class Professor Snape taught us back in second year would it?"

Hermione's eyes suddenly widened, "It can't be."

Dumbledore smiled, "Afraid so. No other Professor is able to, and Snape refuses to again, so I decided why not have our Head Boy and Girl teach Sexual Education to our students this year."

"What!?" They both replied in a loud unison.

**************************************************************************

Draco and Hermione spent that night attempting to go over a lesson plan for tomorrows Sex Ed. Class. 

"No, Granger, you can't go about it like that. Its obvious that you have no experience in these matters." Draco said snatching the lesson plan from Hermione.

Hermione frowned at him, "Oh and I suppose you have a better way to go about it?"

Draco put on his famous mischievous smirk as he glanced at her, "Of course I do."

Hermione leaned back in her chair, "Fine. Go ahead teach the lesson on your own."

Draco saw the anger in Hermione's eyes and he chuckled, "Oh for heaven's sake Granger, if you must mention the importance of virginity then by all means…go ahead."

Hermione glared at him, "Well, pardon me Malfoy if the matter doesn't mean much to you."

Draco shrugged, "Don't care. The matter just never struck me as important."

Hermione looked at Malfoy as if he had just said something worse then 'mudblood', "Not important? I think it's a very important matter. I for one know that I value my virginity," Hermione began as she saw Draco give her a look that said 'Well that's obvious', "And I would like to lose it when I'm in love and married perhaps. Its something I can never get back once its gone and I think all the young girls should be aware of the fact that their first time should be special. Before another git like yourself comes along and takes it from them."

Draco raised a questioning brow at her, "I don't take virginity, its preferable to have a virgin certainly, but I don't take that by force. Its not my style."

It was then Hermione's turn to raise a brow of interest up at him, "So then, what is your style?"

'Do I really want to know this?' She thought.

Draco leaned back in his chair and looked at her with an air of confidence, "I make them want to lose their virginity first."

Hermione's mouth nearly dropped to the floor, "You-you cad! I dare only imagine the number of girls you've defiled."

"Correction!" Draco began raising a finger, "You mean the number of girls I've made into women."

Hermione shook her head, "Well perhaps their virginity means nothing to them, but to me, it means a lot more then you'll ever know or understand."

Draco was silent, 'I knew Granger was a practicing virgin, but I didn't think she felt that strongly about the whole thing…like I care!' He thought.

"So, you can give your little 'Importance of Virginity Speech' and I'll explain the rest." Draco said as he looked over the lesson plan.

Hermione sighed, "So what exactly are you going to say? I am not just going to mention the whole virginity thing, we need to split the lesson up equally Malfoy, or did you forget?"

"Must have slipped my mind, anyhow, I'm taking a shower." He said tossing the lesson plan to Hermione and heading for the bathroom.

**************************************************************************Hermione was out of the shower when she found Draco reading his Secrets of the Dark Arts book. 

Watching him read it so intently made her realize what kind of future they were in for, and how when they crossed paths after leaving Hogwarts would they end up trying to kill each other one day.

Hermione walked over to her side and grabbed her wand and put up the wall again. Draco sighed, and without looking away from his book he said, "Up it goes again. Honestly do you have no respect for a man's sleep?"

"What man? I see no man here, only a little boy who still hasn't grown up to realize that the world doesn't revolve around him and his needs." Hermione replied as she got into the bed.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her, "One day mudblood, I will make you regret every insult."

Hermione sighed without care, "On that day Malfoy, I'll role out the red carpet just for you."

"Bitch." He replied flatly as he tossed his book on the floor and got into his sheets.

Hermione smiled, 'It's so fun to get him mad.'

'It'll be real fun to put her under the Cruciatus Curse one day and finally see her squirm at my feet for mercy.' He thought as he forced sleep upon himself.

**************************************************************************

That night Hermione was tossing and turning, as her dream began to grow more and more real.

Hermione was dreaming, she was talking with Blaise. 

_"I think we should get back to work now." She said._

_"I don't think so." He said, suddenly pinning her up against the wall, causing her to hit her head hard._

_"Stop it!" Hermione screamed trying to push him away, as he savagely kissed her neck._

_"I'm only just starting." He replied darkly._

_Hermione managed to get a leg up to kick him away._

_She began running for the door._

_'Imperio!' He shouted as his wand shot out a white beam of light._

_Hermione stood frozen still, as she saw Blaise appear in front of her, "You will not fight me, you will do exactly as I say…"_

**************************************************************************

"No!" Hermione screamed as she shot up in her bed, shaking with sweat.

Draco rose up in alarm at the sound, and he looked over at Hermione who was breathing heavy and looking rather frightened, as she brought her knees up to her chin.

"What the bloody hell happened!?" Draco shouted, upset that his sleep was disturbed.

Hermione shook her head with tears in her eyes, 'Was it a dream? Oh god did that really happen? Was I about to be…'

"Granger?"

Hermione snapped out of her horrifying trance as she looked over to find two silver eyes looking right at her behind a frame of platinum bangs, "Bad dream." She replied shakily.

He saw her body shake and it made him feel uncomfortable to see her looking the way she did, so frightened.

He instinctively went to put a comforting hand on her shoulder but his hand hit the wall instead, he then realized what he would have done if the wall hadn't been there. He quickly looked up at Hermione to see if she had noticed, but she hadn't. She was looking straight ahead seeming very lost in her own thoughts with tears filling her eyes.

Draco then decided that she would be all right eventually, and he went back to bed making the hand he had used to try and comfort her into a fist.

'That was the first and last time you try to pull shit like that again. That was the most un-Malfoy like thing you have ever done! What were you even thinking?' He thought to himself, 'Obviously I _wasn't_ thinking.'

**************************************************************************

A/N: So what's up? Does Hermione know Blaise raped her now? Or does she think it was a nightmare? What will Draco and Hermione end up _really_ doing for the Sex Ed. Class tomorrow? What do you suppose Draco would do if he found out what Blaise did to Hermione? And what will happen during the ball? Also what did Firenze give Hagrid the other night? Yes, so many questions, and not all will be answered in the next chapter lol, but eventually they all will be…so you can just imagine what will eventually happen ::laughs evilly:: I create the sickest stuff I think sometimes. Alright well anyway, you guys know what to do, tell me what you thought and or think! Luv ya guys, bye!


	10. Draco's UnSlytherin Hope

A/N: Slowly but surely yes, the truth will be out! In this chapter, you'll see the main reason of how the truth gets out later on in the fic. Its hard keeping Hermione and Draco especially in character, cause like one reviewer pointed out, J.K. never really gave them a solid character to work with *sighs* its all so frustrating, yet I think I'm doing ok…somewhat. 

Warning: OotP Spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: I'm tired of explaining this; Draco will do it for me, Draco if you please.

Draco: Listen all you muggle filth, this author does not own my handsome god-like self nor any of the vile riff raff that I attend school with nor my push over Professors and incredibly powerful and rich family, is that understood or are you nasty muggles to simple minded to get the message?

Slytherinz Divaz: Uh, thanks Draco…um, he basically got it down pact except for the muggle filth part…don't listen to him you know how he is, very touchy. Cause I love you guyz lol!

Credits: Uh, how about we have Hermione explain, she's a lot more polite, Hermione if you please.

Hermione: Hello everyone, all the credit for this fascinating story go to my lovely creator Ms. J.K Rowling, though at this moment in time I'm a little upset that she created gits like Malfoy and Zabini.

Slytherinz Divaz: Hermione don't lose focus!

Hermione: Oh yea, sorry Jen. Anyhow, without further ado diva will now list the names of the wonderful muggles who have reviewed for this story. Good bye everyone, pleasant reading!

Slytherinz Divaz: Thank you Hermione! Isn't she just so nice lol.

Thanks too: hP fAn Fo LyFe, love2045, sweetstar3, Mila, paprika90, koishii-glory, luv-bug21, sweet-77-thang, Chach-A-Lot, DrAcOs-DaRk-LaDy, littlebluebanana, annabelle, padme fleur, grace, DanceChic0869, Reiji, Chyld of Black Fire, Arwen1011, overXposed, SodapopC, BlaCk-STaR-GeMiNi, Pannygirl, SnOgFeSt, fire's-ice, Junsui_Chikyuu, noisyamie, Raye-Rei, Lavender Brown, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, and steph for the great reviews, loved them!

Chapter 10: **Draco's Un-Slytherin Hope**

Hermione got out of bed at 6:30 before the alarm went off. She couldn't really go back to sleep after that dream she had, but was it really a dream?

'I blanked out in detention, what happened between the time I blanked out and woke up? Oh Merlin, could he really have…' she thought horrified.

Hermione went into the bathroom and tears filled her eyes as she locked the door and leaned against it crying and slid to the floor.

'He did, the bastard did it to me. My panties half down, my hair and clothes all messed up, a bit of blood on my inner thighs…it all adds up.'

Hermione pounded her fists on the ground and then curled her knees up to her chin and rocked back and forth slightly as she cried.

'I have to go to the hospital wing; I refuse to believe this…I have to hear it from Madame Pomfrey. I won't settle for anything else…I can't settle for anything else.'

Hermione was furious with herself, how could she have let this happen? How could she have been so careless? Cause she didn't have her wand to defend herself with? Yea that was the main reason, but she should've fought harder, even though she didn't remember putting up any fight she knew she did, she must have. Cause she would NEVER willingly do anything of the sort with Blaise Zabini…but in a way she didn't, did she? He raped her, there's a difference.

'I can't tell anyone. I can't act like I know, I won't. No one must ever know what he did to me; I couldn't live with myself if they knew. I can hardly stand myself now, I feel so dirty,' she thought as she began to cry again, 'Why did this have to happen to me?'

**************************************************************************

During breakfast Hermione had decided to visit Madame Pomfrey after she and Malfoy teach the Sex Ed. Class to the second years. She was scared, what if she was pregnant? No, for Merlin's sake her luck can't be that bad, could it?

The thought made Hermione grow pale, as her eyes began to fill with tears again, but since Harry and Ron were sitting right in front of her she held back her tears as best she could.

Harry watched Hermione stare absently into space, he noticed the moisture in her eyes as if she wanted to cry, he frowned at her, "Mione, you ok?"

Hermione moved her eyes over to Harry, "Yes, I'm alright."

Harry looked at her intently; she was lying.

"If anything is wrong you can tell us." Harry said looking at her worriedly.

Hermione managed a smirk, "I know Harry, thank you. You know I will."

'I hate lying to you.' She thought.

"So I hear you and Malfoy have to teach Sex Ed. to the second years, that'll be interesting." Ron said trying to change the topic of conversation.

Hermione sighed, "Yea. Snape backed out this year due to the fact that this lot of second years test his patience too much."

Ron grinned, "My kind of people."

Hermione managed a smile, "Yea I know. Malfoy and I worked out our lesson plan last night."

"You have a lesson plan? You're not just going to say what you know and that's it?" Ron asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head, managing to forget about her rape for a brief while, "No, I think there should be a certain way in which we go about teaching the lesson. I even added my own touch to it."

"Such as?" Harry asked curiously.

"I will be stressing the importance of keeping ones virginity until the right moment." Hermione said, her voice wavering towards the end as she was just hit with the reality that her virginity was blown away by a Slytherin who had raped her.

Tears rapidly began to fill her eyes again.

"Why on earth would you-…hey Mione, what's the matter?" Ron asked looking at her worriedly.

Hermione looked at the two in fear, she couldn't hold these tears back, "I got to go." She said as she quickly got up, grabbed her books and rapidly exited the Great Hall.

"Something's wrong, that's for sure," Ron began as he looked back at Harry, "Should we follow her?"

Harry continued looking at the Great Hall entrance, "No. We'll let her be for now, obviously she couldn't tell us what's wrong even if she wanted to."

Harry then looked over to the Slytherin table where he saw Draco looking at the Great Hall entrance as well with a somewhat curious expression.

'Could Malfoy have done something to her?' He thought angrily, 'If so, I'll kill him myself.'

************************************************************************

Hermione ran to nowhere. She just had to get away, she felt so dirty and lower then the lowest life form on the planet. She wanted to run and hide and never come back, once she ran to the third floor and into an abandoned hall she threw her books to the floor and banged her fists on the walls sobbing.

She slid down the wall and turned into a ball on the floor, with her hair falling over her eyes and her cheeks getting stained with tears.

Suddenly Hermione heard a noise, she looked over and saw Tonks and Lavender come around a corner, the two of them looked at her with worry and Hermione simply froze.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Lavender said running to Hermione's side and sitting next to her.

Hermione looked at her blankly and without caring put her head on Lavender's shoulder and silently cried.

Tonks raced over and knelt in front of Hermione, "What is it Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head, "N-nothing, I-it's, n-nothing."

"Crying like that isn't caused by nothing." Tonks replied brushing away the hair that covered Hermione's face.

"You can tell us Mione." Lavender said comfortingly.

"No I can't. I'm sorry but I can't." She said lifting her head up and wiping away her tears.

Tonks checked her watch, "Class is about to start, you sure you don't want to tell me what's wrong?"

Hermione nodded, "I'm sure, but thank you for asking."

Tonks nodded, "Alright then, Lavender would you please be a sweetheart and walk with Hermione to your next class."

Lavender nodded, "Certainly."

"Thank you. I'll see you two later, and Hermione if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." Tonks said as she got up and raced down the hall.

Just then Ginny came around the corner, "Lavender there you are, why did you-…Hermione? You ok?"

Hermione couldn't stand this, how many more people were going to turn around the bloody corner.

Ginny walked over to the two girls, "What's going on?"

Lavender looked over at Hermione, "Nothing."

Ginny looked over at Hermione, "Nothing? I don't believe you."

Hermione was too emotional to argue with Ginny, "Please Ginny, I can't argue with you."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Hermione, "Yes you can. What's wrong? I have never seen you like this…you look like you have cried for hours."

Hermione bit her lip as she tried to hold back the tears forming in her eyes again, "P-please, Gin…don't do this."

"Yea Ginny, let's let her be." Lavender argued.

Ginny shook her head, "No. Something is very wrong here I know it and you're going to tell me what is wrong. You're worrying me."

A few tears escaped Hermione's eyes, as she looked away from Ginny, "If I tell you, promise not to say anything you two?"

Lavender and Ginny nodded, as they looked at Hermione preparing for the worst.

**************************************************************************

In Potions class, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were taking their test making the Dream Potion.

Lavender was seated next to Draco in this class, and next to her was Blaise. Lavender was angry and disgusted by Blaise.

'He should fall in a snake pit and stay there! Or even better he should have his manhood chopped off after what he did to poor Hermione.' She thought venomously as she then looked over at Draco who was carefully chopping up his herbs.

'You'd think Malfoy would've pulled a stunt like that, though who's to say he wouldn't.' She thought as she tried hard to concentrate on her Potion.

Hermione's hands were shaking slightly as she sprinkled her chopped Poison Oak into the cauldron, she was so scared, what if she was pregnant? What if Blaise tried to rape her again without her knowing again?

Harry saw Hermione's hands shake and he put a comforting hand on top of hers, "Hermione, relax…you sure you're ok? Did Malfoy do something to you?" he whispered.

Hermione looked at him and calmed down somewhat and simply said, "Miraculously Malfoy hasn't done a thing to me. I'm fine Harry, really."

Once the test was over, Snape instructed everyone to place a bit of their potion into their vials and then put them on his desk and then take a seat back down.

"Alright, our next Potion will be the Truth Potion or the proper name for it Veritaserum." He said smoothly as he got up from his desk.

Draco looked over at Hermione and saw her hands shaking in her lap, 'Something isn't right.' He thought, as he looked back at Snape.

"In order to do this potion you will need a partner, for it is a very complex potion and at this stage in your lives you cannot manage to make it alone. So I have already made out a list of who will work together, you are in pairs of twos and this project should only take about three weeks which is the length of time it will take to make the potion." He said coolly as he grabbed a parchment from his desk.

"Potter, Parkinson."

Harry turned white, 'Gods Snape does this on purpose I think, first in detention and now this.'

"Weasely, Zabini."

Ron looked over at Blaise, 'I hate that stupid git. What a lousy three weeks this'll be.'

"Granger, Bullstrode."

Hermione looked over at Millicent who seemed to be scribbling on some parchment, 'I can live with that.'

"Malfoy, Brown."

Draco looked at the brunette sitting next to him, 'Pretty little thing isn't she? But alas no…she's missing something. When will a Professor do me an honest service in this bloody school?'

Once Snape was done the bell rang, "You know your partners, I expect a vial of the Potion handed in from each group in three weeks. The instructions to make the Veritaserum are located in chapter 3 of your Potions book. Now get out."

**************************************************************************

Hermione walked out rather relieved that she didn't get paired with Zabini, she was afraid that she'd probably have to say to Snape what Zabini had done to her if that was the case. She was very grateful that it didn't come down to that.

'Sex Ed. Class is now…drat…I wish to go to the hospital wing already, though another hour isn't going to make much of a bloody difference anyway.' She thought coldly as she walked towards the classroom.

Draco came up from behind her, "Boo."

Hermione jumped and dropped her books and in some sort of internal reaction she turned around and slapped Draco right across the face, when she realized what she had done she put her hands over her mouth, 'Oh no, what did I do? I must have thought he was Zabini.'

Draco slowly turned his head to face her, flames raged in his eyes.

He suddenly grabbed her by the arms and pinned her up against the wall, Hermione was in total fear, Blaise did this to her right before he raped her; "Stop! Let me go please!"

Draco hardly heard her, "Never strike my face again mudblood you hear me!?"

Hermione nodded furiously, "Yes, anything just let me go, please! I thought you were someone else."

Draco looked at the fear in her eyes, 'She never shows fear to me? Why's she shaking? What is up with her? Who did she think I was?' he thought as his silver eyes searched her brown.

He slowly lifted his hands off her and she raced to pick up her books with a shaky hand.

Draco looked down at her and for some reason unknown to him he knelt down beside her and helped her with her books, "Here." He said dryly as he placed the books on top of her others.

Hermione looked at him, "Why'd you do that?"

Draco looked at her blankly, "A 'Thank you' was more of what I was expecting. Though I don't think I care for one from you." He said harshly as he stood up and headed towards the class.

Hermione looked away from him and lifted her pile of books, she felt miserable…Malfoy snapped on her, then insulted her…she felt such a sharp pain in her heart as if she could endure nothing else. But she wasn't going to give in; she wasn't going to be a victim. With a deep sigh to push back her immense sorrow she walked towards the class, Malfoy opened the door and the two of them walked in to see a bunch of second years throwing paper balls at each other. 

None of the students seemed to notice their presence, since they weren't Professors.

"This is chaos. No wonder Snape bailed." Draco said looking at the second years in disbelief.

"Can everyone please stop." Hermione said, yet no one heard her.

"Let me handle this Granger," Draco said as he then shouted, "Hey you little rodents, shut the bloody hell up and sit your little asses down right now!"

Amazingly everyone looked at Draco with slight fear as they all immediately ceased throwing paper balls and all sat quietly in their seats.

Draco felt a huge sense of authority and power, and he grinned, "Much more like it."

Hermione a little shocked at the obedience displayed by the class finally found her voice, "I'm your Head Girl Hermione Granger of Gryffindor House and this is Draco Malfoy your Head Boy of Slytherin House. We're going to teach you all about Sexual Education."

Draco grew bored with the way Hermione was handling the situation, "Allow me Granger," Draco began as suddenly a few of the girls began looking at him all dreamy eyed, "In this class we're going to tell you guys the purpose of your penis and how to make the most of them and for the ladies-"

"Stop it! Just stop, that is not how we are going to go about this!" Hermione interrupted appalled at Draco's boldness, she looked at the students who all had faces of surprise and interest, "What we'll be teaching you is, how your sexual organs work and what they do."

Draco sighed, "What a boring way to put it. I don't think they even understand you much." Draco whispered.

Hermione narrowed his eyes at him, ignoring the comment.

"Alright, so let's begin shall we?"

**************************************************************************

After half an hour Draco and Hermione told the students about the boring basics, about puberty and the best ways to adapt to it. They spoke about why you would start to find the opposite sex attractive and they were just getting into sexual reproduction.

"Alright, now comes the part of the class were we shall talk about sexual intercourse and reproduction, basically we're going to explain to you all how you came into being." Hermione said.

Draco couldn't believe how Hermione was making this so formal and boring, "Yes, and I'll be explaining this all to you." He blurted.

Hermione looked sharply over at Draco, but she couldn't snap on him and she knew he knew that by the devious smirk he gave her.

"One day, who knows how many years from now…your going to have sex. Sex is a good thing, a very very good thing, something you will all enjoy trust me." He said with a grin.

Hermione couldn't have this, "Yes," she began with an interruption, Draco glanced at her, "Sex is what created all of you, it's a very special and very amazing thing. The men have what is called semen, which passes into the women when their bodies join and they swim towards the egg, which is the other half necessary for a child to be created. When a sperm joins and egg, a child is made. Understand?"

The class was so silent you could hear crickets chirp if you tried to listen hard enough.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Well yes that is one purpose for sex, procreation which is all fine and good. But the real importance of sex is-"

"Love." Hermione interrupted.

Draco gave her a confused look.

"Never have sex, unless you are very much in love with the other person. For right now you are all virgins, but once you have sex you lose your virginity and you can never get it back. And you never want to live in regret over such a thing. For what if you get pregnant cause of it? What happens then? You must think about these things." Hermione said as her expression grew slightly sad.

Draco noticed but didn't decide to dwell on the fact for now wasn't the time, "Yes, but sex is also a very good way to de-stress and it does wonders for the body. Now to make sure you get the best out of it you must-"

"Make sure you love the other person. Otherwise it could be the most horrible experience you could ever have. Please don't forget that, especially the young ladies, don't ever give yourselves up if you are not in love." Hermione said interrupting Draco yet again and he simply waved his arms up in defeat.

Just then the bell rang.

All the second years left the room looking confused, intrigued, scared and horrified.

"I'm never doing that bloody shit again. In fact I think that went better then our course did." Draco said with heated sarcasm.

"You are impossible to work with Malfoy. Trying to make them think sex is just a recreational thing with no true meaning or value behind it. You make me sick." Hermione said as she collected her books from the desk.

"Oh please…and look at you, with all your little speeches about being in love and the value of virginity and all that, do you know how ridiculous you sound?" Draco said in protest.

Hermione sighed, "Its not ridiculous. I'm sure you don't understand me cause you have never loved any girl you've been with. You threw your virginity away probably in the same way like you do with your used hair combs. So do I expect you to understand me, and how I feel? Not at all. My virginity meant something to me, unlike yours to you and unlike you I have to live with that thought forever."

Draco never saw Hermione speak so passionately about anything before, he didn't even have anything to say back to her. She then turned away and ran out the classroom. Draco stood there, as her words replayed in his mind over and over again, and a very heavy and unbearable feeling entered his chest.

'Who cares what she says? I did what I did and I became the entire better lover for it. I have no shame, and I'll keep on doing what I do. Her words mean nothing to me.' He forcefully thought to himself.

"But was it just my imagination or did she say, 'my virginity meant something to me'?" He said to himself as he got his book from the desk and started to walk out.

'Doubtful, she'll wait till the bitter end before giving it up.' He thought.

He then bumped into someone who had been passing by, "Watch it you little-"

"Oh shut up Malfoy! Go look at yourself in a mirror." Came the voice of Ginny Weasely.

Draco glared at her, "And while I'm at that you could work on a potion to remove some of those freckles, I could play connect the dots for hours on your face."

"Oh shut up!  Can't you think of something new to say?" Ginny retorted.

Draco scoffed, "You sure you want to spend the rest of the day locked in your room crying?"

Ginny was silent, Draco sneered and walked away.

**************************************************************************

Hermione raced towards the hospital wing.

When she arrived she walked to Madame Pomfrey who smiled at her, "Hello deary, what is it I can do for you?"

Hermione hesitated a moment before she said, "I need you to tell me if I'm pregnant."

After Hermione gave a drop of her blood to Madame Pomfrey who placed it into a Pregnancy Detection Syrum, the color went from clear to blue.

"Well there's your answer deary…you're not pregnant."

Hermione felt like jumping for joy but she managed to stop herself, "Out of curiosity what color would it have turned if I had been pregnant?"

"Red." She replied.

"Can we keep this matter between us?" Hermione asked before leaving.

Madame Pomfrey nodded, "Of course deary, I won't say a word. After all, sadly, you're not the first to come to me over this."

**************************************************************************

Four days later, when the ball was just two days away Lavender and Millicent came to Draco and Hermione's room to work on the Veritaserum project.

Draco and Lavender were working on one end of the room and Millicent and Hermione were working on the other end.

Lavender had been worried about Hermione ever since Hermione told her what Blaise had done. Every once in a while she would see the redness in Hermione's eyes from her crying, but lately it wasn't there that much anymore which made her feel a bit more at ease.

"Brown look at what you're doing before you ruin the whole potion and then I'll have to kill you now instead of later." Draco shouted right before Lavender had a chance to absently toss in the wrong ingredient.

"Oh sorry." Lavender said as she quickly dropped the herb she had been holding back on the table.

"Don't speak, just work." He replied harshly.

Lavender glared at him…"I can't imagine how Hermione puts up with you."

Draco looked over at her, "Didn't I just say, 'don't speak'?"

Lavender ignored him, partially cause she still had something to say and also cause she didn't realize that Draco was ready to put a Silencing Spell on her.

"Do you make her cry?" Lavender asked absently as she put in an ingredient.

Draco was ready to take out his wand when he then realized what Lavender had just asked, "Do I make her cry? No, she's managed to become bloody immune to all insults lately. She only seems to cry in her dreams."

Lavender remembered what Hermione had said about dreaming about what Blaise had done to her for the past week, she knew that must be why she cries in her dreams.

Lavender kept being nosy, "Does it bother you, when she cries?"

Draco looked at the girl in disbelief, "Bother me?" he began, but then stopped, did it bother him? Had it been bothering him? It bothered him the first night, and every night after. He wasn't used to seeing Hermione become so unglued like that and it made him feel almost worried for her. A part of him wished he knew why she cried another part of him didn't care. Cause isn't this what he had always wanted? Didn't he want to see her cry and be miserable?

"Does it bother you?" Lavender repeated.

Draco looked over at her then at Hermione, who was measuring one of her ingredients. Hermione wasn't crying, or shaking, her eyes weren't red for once… and her hair was pulled back to keep out of her eyes as she worked even though a few strands of hair fell out in front of her face, he realized how nice she really did look when she was just her normal irritating and obnoxious self. Zabini was right to be attracted to her. He had to admire her passion for saving herself for the right man too, he knew no other girl who thought that way and it intrigued him somewhat. In a very bizarre and un-Slytherin way, he hoped she got her wish at least before he killed her as he knew he might one day. But he was never going to admit to any of that, he was going to stay the asshole she and everyone else knew him to be, leaving his thoughts where they belonged…locked away in his mind and eventually erased and forgotten with time or with a spell if he wanted to forget sooner.

He then looked at Brown who had been waiting for his answer, "Stop being a nosy little prat and focus on the work will you?"

Lavender frowned, "You're such an asshole."

Draco proceeded to put in a few more ingredients into the cauldron as he said, "Never think different."

**************************************************************************

The next day after classes Hermione and Draco and all the prefects headed down to the Great Hall to practice for the opening of the year's first Ball which was scheduled to take place tomorrow.

*************************************************************************

A/N: This has been my longest chapter ever. A lot of crap had to be put into this chapter cause it needed to get out already lol enough stalling lol. You guys see where I'm going with this yet? A lot of important stuff happened in this chapter. Anyhow, Hermione's personality is having some very un-Slytherin like effect on Draco who is keeping it a pure secret. But what about Hermione, she still feels the same towards Draco, but that will all change my friends that will all change, very very soon. So after this chapter what do you think Draco would do if he finds out Blaise raped Hermione? How will rehearsals go? Who's going to be dates for the ball?

Now let me explain a few things that you might be thinking right now also give you a few ideas as to what will eventually happen:

-What was the purpose of having them teach Sex Ed. Class? To put it simply, wasn't Draco a little amazed at Hermione's passion for saving herself till she's in love?

-The reason Draco hasn't realized that Hermione started crying a lot and acting all strange after Detention is because he isn't allowing himself to care enough to bother analyzing the situation, what should it matter to him?

I do EVERYTHING for a reason muahahahahaha! Everyone mentioned in this fic, plays huge roles remember that, no one is here just for show! ^_^ Read, review and BYE!


	11. Blue Emerald of Illusion

A/N: Ok this chapter is the chapter right before the highly anticipated chapter 12! LOL, see I have to admit something, I already have chapter 12 written and I'm so freakin happy lol, even I was getting all excited while typing it. Its so far my favorite chapter *big ass grin* well anyway, now that I'm done with this chapter I need to get started on typing up an Editorial Newspaper Article for my Journalism class, how-boring-is-that! Well anyway, just read this chapter; get it out of the way so that we can have CHAPTER 12 out! Muahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

 Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: ::Grabs megaphone for all to hear her:: May I have your attention please! Will the real J.K Rowling please stand up! I repeat, will the real J.K Rowling please stand up! ::all the way across the ocean a blonde headed women by the name of J.K Rowling owner of the Harry Potter saga stands and waves:: Thank you! ::turns megaphone off and walks away::.

Credits: ::sticks middle finger up at Credits:: F@$# you man! 

Thanks too: hP fAn Fo LyFe, sweetstar3, DanceChic0869, super sycoh, xxbabysparklesxx, daydreamer4495, Confused, PinayAko, Mila, Mia, Reiji, Liney, Arwen1011, bad-ass-angel, Tristanlover59, wildmage101, love2045, Raye-Rei, beebopodiggity, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, starlightz6, overXposed, Pannygirl, ch, Naoko Ten'ou, Phonixflyer, noisyamie, sweet-77-thang, Junsui Chikyuu, Nell09, Tom*Feltons*Babe, Lavender Brown and savvyfairy for the awesome reviews!

Chapter 11: **Blue Emerald of Illusion**

Draco and Hermione headed down towards the Great Hall for the Medieval Ball rehearsal, they walked along side each other in silence. 

Last night Hermione again woke up crying due to another nightmare and once again Draco had to just sit there silently in the dark and watch.

He grew tired of it. Not in a selfish way, but in a more sympathetic sort of way or as sympathetic as he would allow himself to be which wasn't very much at all.  He felt like telling her to get over whatever it was she kept on dreaming about, but he never found the unfeeling words to do so.

God what a sinful thing it was.

'Shut up witch!' That's all he wanted to say each night, yet he never did.

Yet night after night of the same uncomfortable routine, made him wonder all the time as to what she was dreaming about. 

'Bad Dream,' was the only response he ever got from her. Naturally since he was no mind reader that didn't give him any sort of clue or hint and it wasn't like him to get involved in 'anything' with a Gryffindor, especially Hermione 'the nasty mudblood' Granger.

If it wasn't for him losing sleep over the matter, he wouldn't press it any further, but he was losing sleep over it. He couldn't sleep till she cried herself back to sleep and that took nearly till dawn. He had just gotten used to sleeping with the wall too.

He was finding out, and he was finding out fast. His beauty sleep depended on it and oddly enough his peace of mind.

*******************************************************************

Hermione and Draco walked into the Great Hall where Dumbledore, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Snape where already there waiting for them.

"At least our Head Boy and Girl managed to make it on time. Apparently our prefects have less of a knack for punctuality." Said Professor McGonagall firmly.

"We thought we were late," Hermione replied, looking around to find no prefects in the room. 

Suddenly, the sounds of running footsteps was heard and the prefects from Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff came in practically sliding on their shoes into the Great Hall in attempts to stop.

"So glad you could all join us," McGonagall said giving them a disapproving glare.

"Well you see what happened was Peeves-" Ginny began but McGonagall rose a hand to silence her.

"I don't care what the insufferable poltergeist is up too. You should all make it your business to get hear on time!" She said in a loud and intimidating tone.

Draco rolled his eyes, 'God this is going to stink more then Goyle's underarms,' he thought painfully.

The Gryffindor prefects were Ron and Ginny.

The Ravenclaw prefects were Padma Patil and Anthony Goldstein.

The Hufflepuff prefects were Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott.

The Slytherin prefects were Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini.

Hermione looked at Blaise hiding the immense fear that began welling up inside her. Blaise looked her way and smirked, feeling as though he had complete control over her, though little did he know Hermione now knew what he did to her.

"Well now that you are all here we might as well begin," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Prefects pair up, Head Boy and Girl pair up," McGonagall said clapping her hands with authority.

'It bloody begins,' Draco thought as he stood next to Hermione.

Hermione wanted to be as far away from Blaise as possible, a part of her was so terrified he'd rape her again anytime anyplace. Another part of her wanted to kill him for taking away the one thing she valued most about herself.

"Our Head Boy and Head Girl shall be in the back of the line. Gryffindor prefects," began McGonagall as Ron and Ginny looked at her, "You shall be first to enter the hall, so you'll be in the front."

Ron and Ginny put on disapproving faces as they headed to the front while Hermione and Draco headed to the back.

"My Hufflepuff prefects, you dears will enter the hall second," said Professor Sprout with a cheery grin.

Ernie and Hannah went behind Ron and Ginny.

"Alright my brilliant prefects, you'll be third to enter," said Professor Flitwick from on top of a stool.

Padma and Anthony got behind Ernie and Hannah.

"Parkinson, Zabini I hope you have enough sense to realize where you go?" Snape said dryly, with his arms crossed.

Pansy and Blaise went behind Padma and Anthony.

"Now that that is all settled, we shall explain what is going on. You will all be announced in one by one," began Dumbledore, "When you reach the center of the dance area you will break apart, boys on the left and girls on the right."

"Sounds like a real picnic," Ron mumbled sarcastically under his breath, "Ouch, that hurt you know!" Ron said in a harsh whisper after Ginny elbowed him in the ribs for his comment.

"When we announce the Head Boy and Girl the prefects shall lift their wands up into the air in a salute. Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy shall walk through and then they will dance the first dance. Halfway through the prefects shall join in." He said looking at each of them through his half-moon spectacles.

'You cannot be serious?' Draco thought to himself with a disbelieving face.

'This is not what I need to deal with right now!' Hermione thought angrily, 'He'll probably make me trip and embarrass myself in front of the whole school!'

'I bet the mudblood has two left feet. Knowing my luck she probably does,' Draco thought as his eyes looked over towards her. She was looking straight ahead but you could tell she was thinking about something.

He then saw Hermione's eyes look over at Blaise and a strange light of fear shown in her eyes. He then saw Blaise look back at Hermione with a grin and Hermione immediately looked away and made her hands into fists.

Draco suddenly got a sick feeling in his stomach.

"So let us rehearse the entrance. We will not rehearse the dance for I'm sure all of you here know how to dance a common ballroom dance," Dumbledore began as he then said; "So let us rehearse the entrance one time."

All the while, Draco kept on looking back at Blaise and Hermione.

'Something isn't right and why do I have this sick feeling that the male whore Zabini did something to Granger? What could it have been though?' he thought, throughout the rehearsal.

*******************************************************************

"Tomorrow's the ball and I managed to get myself a date," Ron said confidently as he, Harry and Hermione headed towards the common room.

"Really? Who'd you ask?" Harry asked curiously.

"Actually I didn't ask them, they asked me," Ron said with a smile.

Hermione raised a brow of curiosity, "Was it Lavender by any chance?"

Ron looked over at her with a surprised stare, "Yea…how'd you guess?"

Hermione shrugged, "I didn't guess actually, I sort of knew."

"How?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged again almost as if she didn't really care about what she was talking about, ever since she learned what happened to her she had been very distant and uncaring towards many things, mainly her friends, "I spoke with Lavender the other day during a Quidditch practice, she said she fancied you Ron. So I figured she would want to be the one to go to the ball with you."

"Sounds right enough," Ron said with an understanding nod.

Harry looked at Hermione and his brows contracted together in worry, "Mione, you ok? You haven't really been like yourself lately. Are you sure there is nothing wrong?"

Hermione looked into Harry's gentle green eyes and managed to force a smirk, "I'm fine, just been a bit tired lately is all."

"So how'd rehearsals go you two?" Harry asked.

"Bloody nightmare. I think they should just call the whole prefect/Head Boy and Girl entrance off. Its so un-bloody-necessary. Not to mention dancing with my sister, but I drew the line at her being my date." Ron said with an almost nauseating face.

Harry grinned, "Now I can't wait to see it."

Ron glared at Harry, "Very funny."

"I think its ok," Hermione said absently.

"At least one of us does. Perhaps it's a girl thing, cause Ginny seems to like the whole thing too." Ron said as they approached the Fat Lady.

"Perhaps, I know Malfoy wasn't exactly enjoying himself," Hermione replied.

"Watch him be the main attraction at the ball tomorrow, having every girl swooning over him and such like always. Very nauseating really." Ron said, looking as though he actually was going to be sick.

Harry and Hermione just smirked.

"So where's Lavender?" Hermione asked, "I was supposed to look at outfits with her for the ball tomorrow."

"She's working on the Veritaserum project with Malfoy in the library, I saw them heading over their with their cauldron earlier." Harry replied as he then said the password.

****************************************************************

Draco and Lavender sat in a back corner of the library that was specifically meant for potion making.

"Let's get this over with," Draco said as he sat in his chair and placed the ingredients out on the table.

Lavender glared at him, 'Of all the rotten luck, I wanted to be with Ron tonight,' she thought with a pouty face.

As Draco lit the fire, he looked across at his brunette partner, and he felt so stupid, 'How could I have not realized it before? She's a friend of Granger's right? Maybe she could tell me what the bloody hell is going on with that girl.' He thought.

That meant having an actual non-hostile conversation with a Gryffindor.

'Gods, is this worth it?' He thought, considering how out of character this would actually be for him. His Slytherin peers might question him. Hold on, no they wouldn't, they'd never question him as long as they wanted to keep all their body parts. 

Draco nodded lightly to himself as he then glared at Lavender who was carefully measuring her herbs, desperately trying not to mess up and get Draco mad at her again.

"Hey Brown, a word," Draco said leaning his arms on the table.

Lavender flinched, "Oh, Merlin I didn't mess up! That was the right amount of Wolfsbane I swear!"

Draco sighed and looked up at the ceiling, 'What manner of partner is it that I have been paired with?'

Draco looked back at her, "I know that. I wasn't talking about that."

Lavender looked at him confused, "I-I don't understand."

"I want to talk about your little friend Granger." He said coolly.

Lavender gave him a quizzical stare, "You didn't want to talk about her yesterday."

Draco bit his lip in frustration, "Can't you just be silent and answer the questions I ask?"

Lavender frowned, "Your awful mean you know that?"

"Yea, yea so I've heard," he began casually, "I wanted to know if you knew why she cries every night and why…she seems to act strange every time Zabini is around her. Its sickening how things go between the two of them, like something happened that just…"

'Don't go into detail, are you insane Malfoy?' he thought as he paused.

Lavender looked down at the cauldron, 'Hermione swore me to secrecy, I can't say anything, I just can't.'

Draco continued, "To be blunt, did something happen between the two of them? Did he do something to her?"

"What's it to you?" Lavender replied.

Draco paused, 'Tell the truth,' he thought.

"I can't sleep at nights anymore. She cries after her bloody nightmares waking me up and never letting me rest. My sleep is suffering over this, I thought killing her would be the best solution," he began as Lavender brought her hands to her mouth in a horrified gasp, Draco ignored her an continued, "But obviously I can't do that, at least not for another year. So if I could figure out what was wrong, so I could end her nightmares so I could rest for once then I want to know what's up with the girl."

"You know, if your motives weren't so selfish that might've been sweet," Lavender said with a disappointed sigh.

Draco gave her a disgusted look, "Sweet? Are you competent?"

Lavender glared, "Stop being mean! I can't stand it!"

"Brown, I'll make a deal with you," he said smoothly. Draco knew how he would be told what he wanted.

Lavender raised a curious brow up at him, "A deal? With you? Me make a deal with you? What exactly…what kind of deal?"

Draco shrugged, "I won't be mean to you for a while."

'Complete bloody lie,' He thought.

Lavender pondered it for a moment, "You can't be mean to me for the rest of the year, then I'll agree."

"What!? For the rest of the year!? Are you crazy!?"

Lavender giggled, "Ok, so anyway after the Wolfsbane comes the blackroot right?"

Draco glared at the girl, 'She's not as brainless as I had thought. She actually can work her way through a deal…damn bitch. Is me finding out really worth this? I have to actually be civil to a Gryffindor flower child, if I wasn't in the library I'd throw up right about now or just torture Granger for putting me through this.'

Despite what Draco thought, he knew he needed to know. He wanted to sleep again and he didn't want to see Hermione cry anymore. In the end he was willing to be civil, never nice, only civil.

"Fine Brown. But this stays between us understand? If you so much as tell a fly I will curse you for the rest of your living days you hear me?" Draco said coldly, frightening Lavender.

Lavender nodded, "A-Alright, not a word to anyone."

Draco nodded, "Fine then, so what's the problem with Granger?"

Suddenly Blaise walked by with a couple of Slytherins, Draco watched as Lavender looked at Blaise with the deepest contempt and loathing. Draco never saw such a glare from Lavender before not even one directed towards him, now he knew something was up.

Lavender looked back at Draco and sighed, "I was sworn to secrecy, but if you swear to help her not cry anymore and be so sad, then I'll tell you."

"Yes, yes go on…what did Zabini do?" Draco rushed.

Lavender then began, "The night of your detention-"

"Oi! Lavender!" shouted Ron from the entrance of the library.

'What a complete and total bastard! Leave it to him to ruin this! That's it, he dies first!' Draco thought as he tightened a fist and glared venomously at Ron. If looks could kill Ron would've been as dead as a doornail.

Lavender turned and waved, she then looked back at Draco, "I have to go."

"No, you have to tell me what you were going to say first!" Draco insisted.

Lavender shook her head, "I really can't, not now at least I have to go."

Lavender got up to leave, Draco immediately got up and grabbed her arm, "When will you tell me?" He asked darkly.

"The night of the ball? Or our next project session?" Lavender replied.

Draco swore in his mind over and over and envisioned the thousand and one ways he was going to kill Weasely by the time they graduated, "Either, or, is fine with me."

Lavender nodded and then hurried off.

*******************************************************************

Draco went to his room and the whole time it took him to walk there all he thought about was one thing, 'Zabini lied to me, something did happen the night of detention. That was a big mistake on Zabini's part and Brown was ready to tell me what had happened then that damn pauper Weasely comes along.'

Draco punched the wall as he walked not feeling the sting in his knuckles.

Draco walked in to find Hermione already sleeping; he quietly took a shower and slipped into bed. He knocked at the air beside him to see if the wall was up and sure enough it was. He checked the time; it was 2:30 in the morning.

'In five minutes she'll wake up crying again,' he thought to himself, as he shut off the lights and leaned back against the backboard and waited in silence.

Within five minutes Hermione began stirring and whimpering, Draco watched like he always did after he would awaken. 

"No!" Hermione shouted as she sat upright sweating and shaky and crying.

Draco was so tired of this; it disturbed him to see her like that.

"Bad dream again?" He asked as he looked at her.

She turned her head and faced him, "Yes."

'I'm tired of this,' he thought.

"Is it the same dream every night?" He asked not moving.

Hermione nodded, "Yea."

"What's it about?" 

Hermione bit her lip, "A fear…I guess."

*******************************************************************

(Back on the night of the detention)

Hagrid left Harry and Draco and headed towards Dumbledore's office. Once he was in he stood in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"Ah, Hagrid, I trust everything went well?" Dumbledore asked.

Hagrid nodded, "Yessir, very well, jus' like ye planned."

Dumbledore nodded, "Our dear friend Firenze gave you what he promised?"

Hagrid nodded, "Indeed he did sir," Hagrid said as he handed Dumbledore the parchment given by Firenze as well as the small brown pouch.

"I consider ourselves fortunate to have found this first," Dumbledore said as he grabbed the pouch, "If this were to have fallen into the hands of our enemies, I dare not think what might've happened."

"Nor I."

Dumbledore opened the pouch and pulled out a deep blue gem, "The famous Blue Emerald of Illusion."

"'Ow will this 'elp us agains' you-know-who?"

"When we give it to the one who can wield its power when the time comes Voldemort is going to have a very hard time getting what he wants."

Hagrid shuffled his feet on the floor, "You mean Harry?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, Harry then again maybe not Harry. Though do realize Hagrid this emerald is not the only thing that will determine the outcome of the second war."

Hagrid gave Dumbledore a confused look, "Wha' else is there?"

"Quite a lot, not the life of just one can win a war alone, though he might face the gravest of things alone…along the way he must have something to turn to." Dumbledore said putting the emerald back in the pouch.

"'Ow long till you-know-who makes a move?" Hagrid asked nervously.

"Hard to say, though knowing Voldemort, he'll strike at a time convenient to him and unexpected to us and in the end it will be Harry who must persevere and the Blue Emerald of Illusion will help him when the time is right. Whether he wields its power or not."

*******************************************************************

(Back to the night before the ball)

Hermione sat shaking in her bed.

"Well since you aren't dieing I'm going to sleep." Draco said in his usual manner as he went under the sheets.

Hermione looked over at him and shook her head, "Don't pretend to care, I'd rather take an insult."

Draco didn't look back at her, "Never acted to care in the first place, was just curious about what it is that makes you become a spineless cry baby every night."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, 'You don't understand me at all.'

"Even if I told you Malfoy, you wouldn't care and as far as I'm concerned you could die tomorrow and I'll dance on your grave." Hermione said as she laid back down and continued crying.

'If she had actually meant that, it might've bothered me.' He thought as he tried to block out Hermione's cries. It wasn't hard for him to do since he was used to falling asleep to the sounds of cries nearly every night, whether they were his mother's or others…but hearing her cry was never an easy thing to fall asleep to and he hated it. 

*******************************************************************

A/N: *Squeals and jumps up and down* YAY! Finally! Next chapter is the chapter we ALL have been waiting for! YES YES YES! I can't wait to write the next chapter, oooo I have had a certain scene from the next chapter saved for like a month already muahahahaha! Oh this is gonna be soooooooooo sweeeeeeeet! In both a fluff sense and a evil sense lol, a 'good' evil. Oh this is going to rock. But just admit to one thing, you wanted to kill Ron too when he came into the library right? LoL.

Soooo, what's going to happen at the ball tomorrow? *big ass grin* hehe…REVIEW!

Time to answer some reviewers' questions:

Junsui Chikyuu -Well, I'm still debating that, I'm leaning towards yes but I'm having a few doubts as to how it might affect the story. Though most likely there will be one lemon MAYBE two, they're not that important to me.

wildmage101 –Don't worry about Drakie poo. He will not be what you fear, (o-how-i-love-you-so-much-hermoine-ill-go-stop-being-evil-and-kill-my-evil-father-blah, blah,blah-o-and-while-im-at-it-we-can-get-married-and-i-can-become-really-good-friends-with-weasly-and-potter-etc.) to be perfectly honest that's my worst fear too! Though I will admit, I have read stories where that has happened and I liked them anyway lol. But that will not happen in this fic at least not entirely, a few of those things can't be helped. .

love2045- what is going on inside of Draco…hmmm, well let's see, a lot of frustration since he sees Hermione crying every night and he doesn't know why and it bothers the hell out of him. Which is another thing he can't stand, he can't stand the fact that it bother's him, so basically he's feeling frustrated, but its nothing he can't soon handle, cause he **_will_** handle it.  ^_~

Pannygirl- Hehe, yes some stuff is going to happen soon, I don't know if its intense stuff…I guess you can judge for yourself, who knows, maybe it is intense?

Naoko Ten'ou –Draco and Hermione's relationship will improve fairly soon, you see the signs of change in the next chapter. : ) what a great chapter that'll be too!

Tom*Feltons*Babe- Sorry the whole Blaise thing has somewhat 'rottened' the fic for you, but hopefully that'll change once chapters 12 and 13 roll around. 


	12. The Medieval Ball

A/N: Ok, the chapter we have been highly anticipating is finally here!  As well as the very beginning of the ball, lol. Yes, this fic is going to be long with many chapters, but I don't think you guys have a problem with that right? LoL I'm sure you don't. Anyway, I love how people are growing to either hate or get annoyed with the wall, cause I mean, when will it come down? *shrugs* you're all gonna have to wait and see, muahahahaha! ^_^

Also a small thing to say to a few people who I shall not name, if you guys really think I'm going to hand Draco and Hermione to you all lovey dovey and fluffy on a silver platter, than you're WRONG! I can't do that simply cause, there are so many people that do, I'm choosing to be evil and make it a slow and agonizing process lol, its more enjoyable that way lol. Then again, I can't please the world, and I don't want to try. Alright I don't seem to have much else to say today, weird. On with the fic!

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: ::takes out Mr. Sock:: 

Slytherin Diva: Mr. Sock, do you by any chance know who owns Harry Potter?

Mr Sock: Ummm, Harry Potter, is that those really big fat books series?

Slytherin Diva: Yes, Mr. Sock, do you know by any chance who wrote the books?

Mr. Sock: Ummm, you?

Slytherin Diva: *sighs* No, Mr. Sock, not me…someone else.

Mr. Sock: Who then?

Slytherin Diva: *falls on head* Mr. Sock, you're really not helping!

Mr. Sock: Was I supposed to be?

Slytherin Diva: *sweatdrop* UGH!

Mr. Sock: Whoa! Look at the vein coming out on your forehead its huge! I think it has a pulse!

Slytherin Diva: *flame eyes* SHUT UP! JUST SAY, J.K ROWLING!

Mr. Sock: Uh, J.K Rowling?

Slytherin Diva: Say she owns Harry Potter you lint brain!

Mr. Sock: Hey I resent that! But anyway, ok so that woman owns Harry Potter. Now what?

Slytherin Diva: You go into the hamper!

Mr. Sock: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

::Shoves Mr. Sock into the hamper and walks away::

Credits: ::Mr. Sock speaks from the hamper:: That damn Slytherin Diva, she doesn't own shit of Harry Potter…she's too much of a bitch!

::Slytherin Diva kicks hamper::

Slytherin Diva: Shut up!

Thanks Too: DanceChic0869, sweetstar3, Chach-A-Lot, Mila, xxbabysparklesxx, wildmage101, love2045, Blue-Dreamz, bad-ass-angel, super sycoh, Born2die, FredandGeorge4eva, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, The Sarcastic Morbid One, Madame Moony, CeLeStIaL BeInG, Sen-Chan, overXposed, UN-fOolished, Pannygirl, hpgal186, kelsey, ~*~Lisha~*~, Tristanlover59, Chyld of Black Fire, Draco-FutureBF, Junsui Chikyuu, noisyamie, akiko-sung, Raye-Rei, Lavender Brown, La Angell and *emmy* for the great reviews! You guys kick ass!

Chapter 12: **The Medieval Ball**

During lunch the day of the ball, Hermione sat with Harry, Ginny, Ron, Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus and Neville.

"I can't believe the ball is tonight! Oh, I have the perfect outfit, you'll love it Ron," Lavender said with a squeal as she hugged Ron's arm.

Ron smirked nervously, "I'm sure it's nice, too bad I won't see you till after that bloody opening dance."

"Well, what's done is done. At least it'll be over within a few minutes," Ginny began while eating a croissant, "by the way Parvati, who are you going to the ball with?"

Parvati blushed and looked over at Dean who smirked, "Dean and I are going together."

Ginny grinned, "That's great."

"What about you Gin? Who you going with?" Parvati asked with a smile.

Ginny shrugged, "No one has asked me yet," she began as she quickly glanced over at Harry, "if I go alone that's fine though."

Harry felt himself blush, he could finally ask Ginny to the ball. Now would be as good a time as any, right? Wait, no, Ron, what would Ron say? He wouldn't care would he?

Harry swallowed the massive lump forming in his throat, 'I have faced Voldemort, a Basilisk, Dementors and Death Eaters, surely I can face asking Ginny to the ball right? Ron won't care will he?'

Harry shut his eyes and gained all his nerve,

"Ginnywillyougowithmetotheball?"

Everyone looked at Harry and Ginny blushed. Ron was looking at Harry with a look of pure shock, but he couldn't manage a word to say.

Ginny saw everyone looking at her, Harry suddenly felt like hiding under a rock, "Sure Harry, I'd love to."

Harry felt the ten tons of steel in his stomach vanish suddenly, "Great, I'll meet you by the fireplace in the common room."

Ginny grinned, "Ok."

Parvati then looked over at Hermione who hadn't said a word all throughout lunch, "Hey Hermione, who are you going with to the ball."

Hermione sighed, "Malfoy."

Parvati gasped, "You get to go with that amazing piece of man-flesh to the ball? I envy you."

"Parvati!?" Ginny shrieked, "How could you say such a thing about Malfoy!?"

Parvati shrugged and noticed the shocked and sickening look on Dean's face, "Oh don't worry Dean I still like you better, but who can deny how great Malfoy looks. Even you admitted to it a while back Hermione, remember?"

Hermione's eyes widened in embarrassment about the same time, Ginny's, Harry's and Ron's eyes widened in shock. Lavender simply elbowed Parvati in the ribs for saying such a stupid thing, Lavender at least knew enough not to talk about Malfoy.

"Mione, is Parvati serious?" Ron asked in disbelief.

Hermione bit her lip nervously, "Well…I said he is attractive, I'd have to be a bloody boy not to think so. However I did say that his personality took away from his physical appeal, so you can all relax now."

Harry shook his head, "You girls, I'll never understand any of you. You think Malfoy is good looking yet you hate him anyway, yet you like mentioning how good-looking he is regardless. Just stop the madness, I'd like to keep my lunch, after all this is my arch enemy we're talking about here."

"Sorry Harry, forgot for a moment." Parvati said hiding a grin.

*******************************************************************

It was around five in the afternoon and Hermione decided to take up Lavender's invitation of getting ready for the ball with them in the Gryffindor common room.

'If I don't know what Malfoy will be wearing, it'll be all the better for me,' she thought as she made her way towards the Gryffindor common room with her dress and mask and shoes in hand.

She saw Malfoy walking down the hall with Crabbe and Goyle, obviously they were off to get ready.

'Though I guess it won't be so bad, after all I will have the most good looking guy at Hogwarts as my date, if he keeps his mouth shut the entire time it might just be enjoyable,' she thought as she approached the Fat Lady and headed into the common room.

The common room was buzzing about, a lot of the guys still hadn't gone up to get ready, hardly any girls were around for it was obvious they already started getting ready. Hermione then heard, "Hey Hermione! Come on, we haven't got much time!"

Hermione saw Lavender waving to her from the staircase that led to the girls' dormitories; she waved back and headed towards Lavender.

"So glad you finally made it Mione, we thought you might've not come."

Hermione frowned, "Why would I not come? I missed you guys lately."

Finally they made it to Hermione's old room where Lavender and Parvati still were along with Ginny now.

After an hour the girls were dressed in their medieval dresses, Parvati was wearing a dress of black and blue that flowed down to her sides, she had long velvet black sleeves and a square neckline trimmed with silver lacing; her hair was down in waves kept back with a blue head band and she had a blue face mask which had designs of black vines and small silver roses on it.

Lavender had a white silk gown that flowed down to the floor halfway down the gown a pale lavender color appears and further down the gown the lavender tint gets darker down to the end of the gown. Her sleeves where long and they belled out at the wrists which were also tainted lavender, her hair was tied into two French braids that went down a few inches past her shoulder and her braids were laced with white silk threads; her mask was white with lips painted lavender and two lavender hearts over the eyeholes.

Ginny had an emerald dress of velvet with gold lacing at the end of her long gown and sleeves that triangled up to the bottom of her fingers, the gold lacing was also around her square neckline and waist; her fiery red hair was tied into a thick braid which went over her shoulder and stopped at her elbow. Her braid was laced with gold threads of silk and it was tied with a gold band at the bottom; her mask was gold with green painted on the lips and over the top of the eyeholes to appear as eye shadow as well as green vine designs around the edge of the mask.

Hermione was obligated to represent Gryffindor so her dress had to be scarlet and gold. Her dress flowed down to the floor like a scarlet waterfall, the bottom was trimmed with gold lacing, her scarlet velvet sleeves triangled at the end towards the bottom of her fingers like Ginny's dress and were trimmed with gold. Her neckline was shaped like the top of a heart trimmed with gold, her waistline had gold trimming that was shaped like a triangle pointing down; her mask was scarlet with gold vines designed around the outer edge of the mask and small black roses on the vines, the lips were painted gold and the eyes were painted gold on the top of the eye holes and slightly outward to appear as eye shadow. Her hair was braided into a head band and the rest of her was made wavy, several thin braids where in her hair as well as a few small red roses in her braid band.

The girls looked amazing.

They all looked at themselves in the mirror, they were all hoping they're dates would approve, all of them except Hermione that is. Hermione didn't care what Draco would think about how she looked, she didn't even really care how he would look. Yet an awful thought came to her head, how would Blaise think of how she looked?

Hermione felt her heart beating fast in a sudden fear and she raced away into the bathroom. No one saw her go except Lavender.

Lavender raced after her and began to knock on the door, "Hermione! You ok?"

"No! I'm not going to the ball I've changed my mind!" She said in tears.

Lavender frowned, "It's a bit late to change your mind now, Mione. You have to go to the ball, what's the matter? Why are you saying this anyway?"

Hermione began to shake as she thought of Blaise forcing himself upon her again, "I-Its just that…I'm so afraid Zabini will do something to me again. I'm so scared Lavender, I'm just so scared he'll hurt me again."

Lavender could hear the pain in Hermione's voice, it nearly brought tears to her own eyes, "Don't worry Mione, you'll be fine! You'll have Malfoy with you, Zabini wouldn't even think of doing anything to you as long as you're with Malfoy."

Hermione scoffed, "I'm sure Malfoy would let him! That's it! I'm not going!"

Lavender shook her head, "You can't do this Hermione, it'll all be alright. Just come out, the ball starts in half an hour."

Just then Ginny came into the room, "What's going on?"

Lavender sighed, "It's Hermione, she's afraid Zabini will try to do something to her at the ball."

Ginny put on a concerned face, "Oh no," she said as she walked towards the door and began knocking, "Mione, it's Gin. Please come out! Or let me in!"

"No!"

Ginny looked at Lavender worriedly, "We got to get her out of there."

"Yea but how? The only way she'll go to the ball is if she was positive Zabini wouldn't do anything to her." Lavender replied feeling helpless.

Ginny frowned, "But how can we do that?"

Lavender leaned against the wall and shrugged. Just then it hit her, 'Malfoy,' she thought.

'He wanted to know what was wrong with Hermione. If I tell him she won't come out and why and about Zabini and everything, and if he swears to not let him near Hermione, then maybe…just maybe Hermione will go to the ball then.' Lavender thought feeling stupid she didn't think of it before.

Ginny saw the smile on Lavender's face, "What are you smiling about?"

Lavender looked over at Ginny, "I think I have a way to get her out. In the meantime stand watch here, I'll be back shortly."

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked as Lavender began heading out the door.

"To Hermione and Malfoy's room!" she shouted as she then disappeared.

Ginny looked curious, "Why would she go there for?"

*******************************************************************

Draco was doing the finishing touches on his velvet black cape that he had just finished tying around his chest. He looked at himself in the mirror and grinned, 'Damn I look good, maybe this'll get me some action tonight.'

Draco was told to represent Slytherin by wearing silver and green, but did Draco ever listen when to him it didn't really matter? Of course not, Draco instead chose to wear green and black.

He had black velvet boots that went up to cover his knees and folded over the top he wore skintight cotton dark green pants, since he refused to wear those medieval tights. He wore a black silk shirt that was laced open down the middle to the top of his stomach revealing a bit of his firm muscular chest, his sleeves were very loose and his cuffs were crimped loosely around his wrist. His velvet black cape reached his knees and had a hood thrown back behind his shoulders, his platinum blonde hair was left without gel letting a few stray hairs fall over his eyes and framing them perfectly. His mask was on the night table; it was painted one side black and one side green.

He was looking damn good and he knew it.

Just then he heard a knock at his door, he rolled his eyes, 'Bet granger forgot one of her stupid things here.'

He opened the door, "What!?"

Lavender flinched, "Uh-hi, it's me."

Draco raised a bored brow at her, "What are you doing here Brown?"

'She's looking good tonight,' he thought in his usual manner.

Lavender began to fidget with her fingers nervously and she looked down at the floor trying to find the words to say what she was about to say without Hermione's permission.

"Well!? I haven't got all night you know." He said leaning against the doorframe and looking at her impatiently.

"It's about Hermione, and what I was going to tell you in the library the other day," Lavender began, that got Draco's attention as he stared at her intently, "About why she cries and all that. But you mustn't tell her I told you ok?"

Draco nodded, "Yes, yes, alright come on out with it."

Lavender took in a deep breath, "The night of detention, well…oh dear how do I say this…"

"Brown if you don't say it, I'll put the Cruciatus Curse on you and make you tell me!" Draco spat impatiently.

"Shut up! You promised not to be mean anymore if I told you!" She shouted back.

Draco glared at her and bit his fist to stop himself from saying anything else.

Lavender then took in a deep breath, "The night of detention, Zabini, he raped Hermione, he put the Imperius curse on her and then a memory charm after so she would forget everything. Yet she began remembering what happened in her dreams, that's why she cries every night…she's remembering Zabini raping her."

Draco thought he wasn't hearing right, no he wasn't, he couldn't be.

'That bloody bastard! How could he, she was a virgin…he just took…oh shit! That's why she went on and on about virginity while teaching that class, Merlin how could I have been such a blind idiot, everything was staring me in the fucking face and I was too blind to notice! Oh Merlin, that's what she had to deal with…that bastard…he'll pay for this, cause lord knows Granger won't do anything.'

Lavender saw a bright flame burning in Draco's eyes and she suddenly grew fearful, "Hermione also locked herself in our bathroom, she's afraid to go to the ball," Lavender began as Draco snapped out of his rage filled thoughts and looked down at Lavender.

"What on earth for?"

Lavender shook her head feeling sorry for Hermione once again, "She's afraid Zabini will rape her again or try to during the ball. So I thought if I told you what happened to her, you might be willing to make sure he doesn't go near her, so she'll feel alright about going to the ball."

"Tell that stubborn girl to forget about that dickless worm, force her out of there…I have something I go to go settle." Draco said as he pretty much blindly stormed down the hall.

"How do I get her out!" Lavender called out to him.

"How the bloody hell should I know? Just find a way witch!" He replied from down the hall as he ran around a corner.

*******************************************************************

"Where's Zabini?" Draco asked as he stormed into the Slytherin Common.

Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson were talking by the fire and they looked up at Draco, Pansy replied, "He's in his room."

Draco nodded in acknowledgement and then headed for the stairs.

"Damn Malfoy is looking sexy tonight, I wonder if I could get him in bed later." Pansy said with a mischievous grin.

Draco raced up the stairs and then burst open Blaise's door, luckily not that it mattered to Draco, Blaise was the only one in the room.

Blaise looked up at him in surprise, "What do you want here Malfoy?"

Draco glared at him, "Your dick on a platter!"

Blaise looked at him with slight fear, for when Draco was this mad, it

was always a bad thing for whoever he was mad at.

"What are you talking about?"

Draco glared at him and began to reach for his wand, 'I think muggle violence will be more affective.' he thought.

Draco walked over to Blaise who had gotten up from his bed and Draco without thinking twice punched Blaise hard in the face, managing to break Blaise's nose, he then kicked him in his gut.

Blaise, with a bloody nose, scrambled to get up and punch Draco back but Draco moved out of the way and punched him again, "Stay down!"

Blaise apparently not hearing got up again pointing his wand at Draco.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I said stay down you little shit!" he shouted pulling Blaise's wand out of his hand, and breaking it in half.

He then pulled Blaise by his cloak and smashed him against a wall.

"What, did I do?" Blaise mumbled in extreme fear for his life.

"Since when have you started raping girls Zabini?" He demanded.

Blaise looked at him confused, "I-I, what do you mean?"

Draco slammed his head against the wall, "Don't fuck with me! You raped Granger, didn't you!?"

"So what if I did? Its not like you haven't raped any girls before!" Blaise said in defense.

Draco glared at him with a deadly fire in his eyes, "I never needed too you idiot!" he began, with a look to kill, "since when have you started confusing rape with clever seduction?"

"Like it matters! I made sure she wouldn't remember, I used the trick you taught me!"

Draco gritted his teeth, "Well she remembers now! Every dirty little thing you did to her! She was a virgin you bastard! Did you know that!?" He shouted slamming Blaise's head against he wall again.

Blaise looking ready to fall unconscious from the blow said, "No. Why do you care anyway?"

"How many other's have you raped huh? HOW MANY! How many were virgins!?" He shouted tightening his grip on Blaise's neck, "She cries every bloody night cause of you! She's been miserable for a week, a week of pure hell cause of you! Death would've been better for her, knowing how she is, that's what I would've given her…but you managed to do better didn't you…how Slytherin of you. Did you like it Zabini?"

"I-I D-don't kn-know," he struggled saying.

'You're a little fucking shit Zabini and you're never doing this shit again, I could easily kill you right now before you even had a chance to scream and don't think I don't want to kill you right now, cause I do, I really do." Draco said darkly.

"Bu-but-" Blaise began, but then stopped, as he saw Draco take out a knife from his cloak, which he had stolen from Blaise.

Draco smirked evilly at Blaise, as he flashed the long knife in front of him.

"Touch Granger again Zabini," he began as he slid the knife across Blaise's cheek creating a small thin red line of blood, "And I'll carve you a new face, and change your gender, understood? Or maybe, I'll just flat out kill you and do ourselves both a favor. Since you have to make an appearance at the dance, I won't break your legs…for now at least." 

Blaise nodded furiously.

Draco smirked, "Good. You will not look at Granger tonight, you will not go near her ever again, and if you so much as look at her I'll gauge your eyes out and shove what's left of your wand up your ass and if anyone asks, Filch tried to rape you."

Blaise nodded fiercely.

Draco then looked at the knife, and quickly stabbed it into the wall missing Blaise by centimeters causing him to practically piss on himself in fright, "Here's your knife back." Draco said smoothly as he then punched Blaise hard in the stomach.

With that he walked out of the room and Blaise collapsed on the floor, and Draco left the Slytherin common room before anyone could talk to him.

But before he did he quickly said to Millicent who was still by the fire, "You might want to help Zabini to the Hospital wing, Peeves has been having some fun with him."

*******************************************************************

Lavender had returned to Ginny, who was still by the bathroom door, Parvati had gone down to meet up with Dean.

"She still won't leave huh?" Lavender asked as she approached Ginny.

Ginny shook her head, "No."

Lavender knocked on the door, "Hermione! You don't have to worry about Zabini, he won't do anything to you…" Lavender didn't know how else to say what she thought was true but wasn't too sure was true, she had to just lie hoping she was telling the truth, "Malfoy, said he won't let Zabini near you."

Ginny's eyes widened and she looked at Lavender in total shock, "Is that where you went? To see Malfoy?"

Lavender nodded nervously, "Y-yea."

"Did you tell him what Zabini did?" Ginny asked in a frantic panic.

"Yea, but before you go crazy let me explain. When I told him, he seemed really angry about it. He even told me to tell Hermione to forget about Zabini and go to the ball…I think…he really will watch over her." Lavender said with hope lacing her voice.

Ginny looked at Lavender not knowing exactly what to say, "Malfoy said this? I find that hard to believe. We've been enemies with him for years already, why would he care about Hermione?"

Lavender shrugged, "I don't know. But one thing I do know, is that for some reason or another he does care about what Zabini did."

Ginny sighed and knocked on the door, "Hermione, listen to Lavender she's telling the truth. Come out, you'll be fine…I give you our words as Gryffindor's we're not lying to you."

After a few seconds you heard the door unlock and Hermione came out of the bathroom with tear stained cheeks, "Oh Hermione," Ginny said hugging her, "Let's fix you up quickly for we only have fifteen minutes."

"You gave me your words as Gryffindor's, I hope you weren't just saying that," Hermione said with a sniffle.

"We're being honest Mione." Lavender said as she closed the bathroom door behind them.

*******************************************************************

Lavender and Harry walked to the Great Hall together since both their dates were going to be in the opening of the ball.

Ginny and Ron walked together alongside Hermione.

"Oh hey wait!" Ginny said stopping.

"What now?" Ron asked with a whine.

Ginny glared at him, "We're supposed to put our masks on before going down and Ron you have to put your hood on as well."

"Oh," Ron said as he put his mask on and pulled the string behind his head, his mask was half crimson and half black, Ron was basically dressed the same as Draco except his pants and shirt were crimson instead of green.

Hermione and Ginny put their masks on as well and then they walked down to the entrance to the Great Hall.

Hermione's heart was beating rather rapidly as she saw that she, Ron and Ginny were the last ones to arrive.

"So glad you could join us," McGonagall said sternly.

"Ginny, Ron, please take your positions in the front of the line," McGonagall said with a wave of her hand towards the front of the line as they went Ron flipped his hood over his head.

"Hermione, take your place in the back."

Hermione began walking to the back; she saw Hannah and Ernie with their masks on arm in arm and Ernie had his hood on, as well as Padma and Anthony who like all the other guys had his hood on. She then saw Pansy with her mask on and next to her was Blaise with his mask and hood on, he seemed to be bent over slightly with his hand to his stomach.

"Oh Zabini what has gotten into you? Straighten up will you?" Pansy said sounding very annoyed and irritated.

"If I do, I throw up," Zabini replied in a mumble, if it weren't for the mask Hermione was sure she would've seen him with his eyes closed in pain, and she smirked at the thought.

She then saw one tall figure with a mask of half green and half black and a hood on over his head covering his hair standing alone obviously waiting for her.

As she approached him his head turned towards her and she felt her heart skip a beat suddenly, she saw two silver eyes looking at her through the mask and it made her shiver silently.

Before Hermione could say anything to Malfoy, you heard McGonagall clapping to get their attention for it was just the prefects and Hermione and Draco left outside as the doors to the Great Hall had shut.

"Each time the doors open one pair will go out at a time," she said as she then went into the Great Hall closing the door behind her.

The doors opened and Ron and Ginny walked through arm in arm and you heard loud cheers from within the Great Hall, then the doors closed and the line moved up.

Then the doors opened again and Hannah and Ernie went through the doors arm in arm like Ron and Ginny had been, then the doors closed blocking out the cheers. It happened two more times till the doors shut and only Hermione and Draco were left to enter.

Hermione then looked next to her and saw that Malfoy had extended his arm out to her for her to chain to, she looked up into his eyes and unconsciously put her arm through his. Too bad she couldn't see the mischievous smirk on his face when she did so.

The doors then opened again and Draco and Hermione arm in arm walked through the doors, the cheers were massively loud, and Hermione thought it so strange that she was walking arm in arm with Malfoy and not really caring about it, but somehow enjoying it.

'I'm not used to this sort of thing I think,' she thought as then she and Draco walked by the prefects till they were in the front of the Great Hall.

Eventually the cheering stopped as Draco and Hermione stood there still arm in arm as the Prince and Princess of the ball.

"Now, the ball shall be opened with the first dance started by our Head boy and girl and prefects," Dumbledore said as then the soft sound of gentle and light music was heard.

*******************************************************************

A/N: You must really want to kill me right now for stopping the chapter like that right? Muahahahahaha! Didn't I say chapter 12 would kick ass? Well don't worry, chapter 13 should kick ass and if you think Blaise got off easy you might be right, but don't worry…it all gets better, trust me. *evil grin* So now what's going to happen at the ball? Will Hermione find out what Draco did for her? Oh the questions, lol, they continue. Well anyways state your comments and so on review and all that good stuff and I'll be posting soon! Bye!


	13. Dancing With the Devil

A/N: Wow! So many reviews for the last chapter, I'm still shocked. Well, yes, everyone got their wish, Zabini got a little of what was coming to him, and even though I must agree that he got off a little easy, there is still a whole story ahead of us, remember that, ::grins evilly:: Though I might be updating less frequently now due to things going on, but I shall not try to be any later than two weeks.

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: Slytherin Diva: Hey look! Its Harry Potter!

Harry Potter: Hi.

Slytherin Diva: Harry could you tell us who your creator is please, for all the lovely readers out there.

Harry Potter: My mum and dad, Lily and James Potter.

Slytherin Diva: ::sweatdrop:: Uh, no, Harry, who is the creator of all of you.

Harry Potter: God?

Slytherin Diva: ::falls on head:: No Harry…not…god.

Harry Potter: Sorry, don't know then mate.

Slytherin Diva: Just…go play Quidditch Harry…go…go on.

Hermione Granger: I know I know our creator! Couldn't help over hearing!

Slytherin Diva: Ah, yes Hermione, please tell us.

Hermione Granger: It all started back when the earth was very young and there was this thing called the primeval soup or something and-

Slytherin Diva: NO!!!!!! NO AND NO!!!!!!

Mr. Sock: J.K Rowling! I learned that the hard way.

Slytherin Diva: ::falls on head::

Credits: To the blonde lady across the Atlantic.

Thanks Too: Chach-A-Lot, Blue-Dreamz, CeLeStIaL bEiNg, SickGirl42, xxbabysparklesxx, starlightz6, Paranoia-shouijo, Pampers, hpgal186, FuMan Skeeto, hP fAn Fo LyFe, Reiji, sweet-77-thang, Crazper, Tristanlover59, wildmage101, blondiebabs, tomsgirl4ever, Raye-Rei, ToOtHpIcK, Cute-Kitty, Earthako, Genevieve Jones, DanceChic0869, Relena Potter, SnOgFeSt, Angels INC, super sycoh, Pannygirl, bad-ass-angel, un foolished, Chyld of Black Fire, noisyamie, Jenie, love2045, Kalariah, Lavender Brown, darnell's daughter, ~*~Lisha~*~, Arwen1011, Jo, Junsui Chikyuu, scotty's angel, crazy azn angel and Daydreamer4495 for the kick ass reviews!

Chapter 13: **Dancing with the Devil**

As the music began to play Draco lead Hermione to the center of the dance floor, Draco took her hand in his and raised it up and he put his other hand on her waist. Hermione slightly nervous grabbed her gown and lifted the side of it up with her free hand, as she heard Draco say, "You ready?"

Hermione nodded, "Yea."

Then slowly Draco began to lead her into a dance of twirls and spins, to everyone that looked on they could've been floating on air with each graceful step.

'He seems so different tonight, so gentlemen like…why is that? And why am I starting to like it? Maybe its those eyes of his that are staring at me like a hawk, they make me feel so strange and weak, I'm struggling to work my legs despite it. Imagine if he knew what he's strangely managing to do to me? He'd laugh much like I'm trying not to,' she thought almost dreamily.

'Did I actually beat up on Zabini cause of her? What the hell was I thinking? I must not have been thinking. Its my lack of sleep, its screwing with my head. Yet, she'll be fine now I suppose. I wonder if she'll start insulting me again now? I can take it if she did, it would be a nice trip back to normalcy,' he thought as he had her twirl under his arm, just then the music stopped and the prefects came on to the dance floor and joined them.

Music that was a bit more rhythmic began to play; he recognized this music. It was a ballroom dance he saw done as a child and then was taught…by force. He used to hate dancing to it, perhaps cause every partner was either Pansy Parkinson or Millicent Bulstrode or some other daughter of a Death Eater who was a total turn off. Yet right now, as he looked at the masked girl in scarlet and gold, he became rather fond of the dance.

They took a step back from each other then a step towards each other; they walked around each other never looking away from the other, their eyes stayed locked onto each other. Their hands connected and as they moved in they raised their arms up as they pulled back their arms went down, then up again as they came close. He then spun her one way and then another, he spun her away from him and then right into him, he then slid away from her then he slid to her right then back again and then to her left, and then he slid in steps all around her till he was back in front of her again. He then held his hand out to her, she took it and then they took a step out then turned around switched hands and took another step out, then he grabbed her waist and lifted her up and spun her in the air, she raised her arms up like all the other girls did and she for the first time in a week felt happy and almost free. He then put her down and their hands pressed up against each other and they stepped into each other then away from each other, he then spun her around and let her fall into his arm ending the dance.

She looked into his eyes, they were shining bright, 'If only I could see his face,' she thought, 'its so hard to believe I'm dancing with the same git I share a room with. I feel as though I'm dancing with the devil in disguise.'

"Now everyone, please…dance! At midnight we will unmask our partners," Dumbledore said happily, as Ron and Ginny raced to their dates. It was obvious they didn't like having to dance such a dance with each other.

Hermione and Draco continued looking at each other, "And hear I was thinking you had two left feet for seven years," Draco said suddenly.

Hermione smirked, "And here I was thinking you'd make me trip."

Draco shook his head, "I think you can only suffer so much in a week, don't you think?"

Hermione froze, 'What did he mean by that? He doesn't know about Zabini does he? No…I'm being silly, he was just saying that cause of the Veritaserum project, he knows I have been working very hard on it with Millicent.'

"Yea I guess so, Snape's projects are never easy to finish," she said.

Draco nodded, 'Let her think I don't know. Bet her pride wants it that way.'

Then they just stood their in front of each other as a very awkward silence came over the two of them and they were just standing there not knowing what to really say, should they part ways?

"I guess, I'll go then since our job is done, no point in standing around here any more," Draco said suddenly as he turned and began to walk away.

Hermione saw him go but she felt like something needed to be said or done before she could part ways with him, "Wait!"

He turned to her, mask and hood still on only the glint of his silver eyes could she see from where she was, "Did you tell Lavender, that you were going to look after me tonight?"

Draco looked away from her for a moment, 'I did say that didn't I? Shit.' He thought as he then looked over at Zabini who kept on taking off his mask every so often to make sure the bandage Madame Pomfrey had put on his nose was doing its job. Draco smirked, 'Serves the bastard right, though I still think I should've killed him. There I go thinking madness again…dammit…am I ill?'

He then faced her again and not really knowing what else to say simply said, "Well, do you want me to?" sounding annoyed with his own question.

Hermione looked down at her hands as she fidgeted her fingers and bit her lip nervously, which Draco couldn't see her do since her mask covered it, "No, there's n-no reason for you to do that."

Draco didn't say a word, 'You don't want me to know, I guess you'll sleep easy thinking that,' he thought.

Draco shrugged, "Fine."

He then walked away and Hermione let out the biggest sigh of her life, she then sat at a nearby table, 'Merlin, does he know? Did…did Lavender tell him, or Ginny? Why else would he offer such a thing, how else would it explain Lavender saying so? No…they swore not to tell, I trust them.'

Dumbledore had enchanted the food and drinks so that they would pass right through the masks whenever someone had wanted to eat, so that no one could have a chance to take off their masks, except for Blaise that is. He continuously kept on checking his healing broken nose. He also never ate.

As the night went on, Draco kept to himself. He took a place in a dark corner where he stood and watched Hermione and Zabini while leaning against the wall. He could still watch out for her without her knowing and he was looking for an excuse to break Zabini's legs anyhow.

Many girls kept on coming up to him and asking him to dance and he turned them all away, he had no interest to dance with them. Just then Pansy came up to him, she took off her black mask and looked up at him. 

Draco merely looked down at her in a rather bored fashion, Pansy then spoke, "You want to dance sexy?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'd rather dance with Snape."

Pansy frowned, "Oh come on," she said moving in closer to him, Draco simply stood and watched her come closer, "How can you resist me…you didn't used to."

"I decided that I prefer to be with the non-easy type, the kind that aren't below me and worth something a bit more then just a cheap thrill or dance," he replied darkly.

Pansy went to slap him but he grabbed her wrist in mid air, "Where was that hand of yours going by the way?"

Pansy pulled her hand away, "No where."

"That's what I thought too, cause I know you're not dumb enough to strike me, are you?" He asked smoothly.

Pansy put her mask back on, "Well the little mudblood Hermione Granger managed a shot at you, I guess that's enough shame for you isn't it?"

Draco smirked, luckily Pansy never knew, "Care to leave before I give you enough shame to last you your entire life?"

Pansy huffed and walked off.

"Stupid girl."

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It was ten minutes till midnight, Hermione had had a marvelous night dancing with Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ernie and even Colin Creevey and Dumbledore. She hardly caught a glimpse of Blaise the whole night and it just made the night even better, little did she know she had a secret bodyguard watching her from a dark corner.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, Lavender and Ginny all sat down at a table talking and laughing when suddenly Ron said, "Have you seen Zabini tonight?" he began with a laugh, Hermione suddenly frowned at the mention of Blaise, "He apparently has a broken nose. You should see how stupid he looks with that bandage on his nose and him checking it every so often, he's even thrown up a few times."

"How come?" Hermione asked suddenly overwhelmed with curiosity.

"Don't know really, rumor has it…Malfoy went to go see Zabini in the Slytherin common room a short while before the ball was to start," Ron began as Lavender and Ginny gave each other nervous glances, Lavender started to slink down into her chair to avoid being too noticed, "After Malfoy left, Zabini had a broken nose, a knife pinned pretty deep into his wall and he could hardly breath from a blow he took to the gut…oh and he has a nice cut along his cheek and a broken wand. I say Malfoy did it."

Hermione was terribly confused, "But why would Malfoy do that?"

Ron shrugged, "Have no clue."

Hermione then looked over at Ginny who was looking at Lavender. Lavender was twisting a napkin nervously not even realizing Hermione's curious stare. Lavender told her that Malfoy would watch over her during the ball, she must have spoken to Malfoy…she must have told him Zabini raped her.

"Lavender," Hermione began in a controlled voice that prevented her from screaming.

Lavender's eyes looked up at Hermione through her white mask, "Yea Mione?" she asked nervously.

"Can I see you a moment PLEASE?" Hermione said getting up from her seat and grabbing Lavender by the arm, and the two walked off to the other end of the room.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked curiously.

Ginny sighed, "Have no idea," she said lying nervously.

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Hermione and Lavender stopped at the wall, "Lavender, please tell me that when you told me Malfoy said he'd watch over me tonight, you were lying?"

Lavender bit her lip nervously and began fidgeting her with her hands and she looked in every direction except Hermione's. Hermione saw Lavener's eyes wander and she almost knew Lavender was hiding something.

"No Hermione, I wasn't lying. He did tell me," she said in a low voice.

Hermione looked at her in total disbelief, "So then I'm guessing the only reason he would say that is because…you told him Zabini raped me. Didn't you?"

Lavender nodded, "I didn't know what else to do, you wouldn't leave the bathroom cause you were afraid Zabini would do something. So I went to Malfoy."

Hermione shook her head not understanding, "Why? Why go to Malfoy over such a thing? What made you think he would care?"

Lavender sighed and leaned back against the wall and watched the other students dance, "Well he is my project partner and during our sessions you came up in the conversations. Yesterday he started asking me why you cry every night; he asked if he could help you stop crying. So he basically tried to make me tell him."

"Yet you waited till tonight, cause I was locking myself in the bathroom?" Hermione asked still a bit confused.

Lavender nodded, "He sounded concerned about you, so I thought if I told him what was going on, then he might actually help you like he said he would have. To be perfectly honest after I told him he ran down the hall towards the dungeons," Lavender began as Hermione felt like she was about to hear something she never thought she'd hear in a million years, "Ginny and I believe that he was the one who beat up Zabini like that. We're assuming he did it cause of you…for you, really."

Hermione didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to think. Malfoy did that for her? Draco Malfoy, the bane of her existence? The boy who always made her life and the lives of her friends unbearable at times? He beat up and practically killed Blaise Zabini for her? Cause of what Blaise did to her? No way in hell.

"Lavender tell me you're lying?" Hermione asked nervously.

Lavender shook her head, "Not this time Mione…I told him and he ran off towards the dungeons, very angry might I add."

Hermione felt so stupid, 'He's known since the ball opening…that's why…I think…I owe him a thank you…or something…Merlin what do you say to your worst enemy in a situation like this?'

"Do you by any chance know where Malfoy is?" Hermione asked Lavender.

Lavender shrugged, "Don't know really."

Hermione sighed, "Alright well…if anyone asks, I went to the bathroom alright?"

"Ok…but where are you going?" Lavender asked curiously.

"To find Malfoy." She said as she began walking off.

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Hermione walked quickly around the Great Hall looking for the tall figure in green and black velvet, she then saw him leaning against a wall in a dark corner. He was looking right at her, she saw his eyes piercing through her again.

'Right Hermione, its now or never. Just go and say thank you.' She thought to herself as she then approached him.

Draco watched her walk over towards him, 'What's this?' he thought.

Hermione paused in front of him and looked up into his eyes, "I-I need to tell you something."

Draco raised a brow of interest, "Oh you do? Like what exactly?"

Hermione looked around the area, there were just too many people that might hear the conversation, "Can we go outside?"

Draco shrugged, "If we must."

Hermione lead Draco to a bench by the main stairway behind a big bush. She sat down; Draco stayed standing.

"Would you please sit down?" She asked nervously.

 "No…I'd rather stand…why are we out here?" He asked looking around to see if anyone was in site.

Hermione looked down at her hands, suddenly she felt so ashamed that Malfoy knew what Zabini had done to her. She felt so dirty, so embarrassed, but she had to say thank you, "I just wanted to tell you that…I know you know what Zabini did to me," she began, her voice beginning to quiver as if she was on the verge of tears, Draco watched her feeling a strange feeling of guilt or was it pity? He felt pity cause he knew if it had been up to her she would've still been a virgin right now and would've had all her dignity and self worth busting inside her…now she was just a ghostly image of that. His eyes landed on hers making her unable to look away from him for reasons she couldn't explain.

"I just wanted to say…thank you…for…what you did. If you meant to or not don't tell me…but I just had to say thank you…Lavender told me everything." She said as you saw the tears glisten in her eyes.

It was five minutes till midnight.

"Now I know why Brown is known as the school gossip queen, she can't keep her trap shut can she?" Draco said, not comfortable with having to be in this situation, with Hermione being in the state she was.

Hermione shrugged, "I guess so…but…well…I don't know…just don't tell anyone about what happened. Only Lavender, Ginny and you know about it…I guess I want to keep it that way. I couldn't bear it if Ron or Harry found out. Its bad enough you found out."

Draco scoffed, "Sure, can't have precious Potter and Weasel finding out about this. Merlin knows what they might say right? Like it should matter…if they're your bloody friends…they won't care about it anymore then I do now."

Hermione frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Draco shrugged, "They'll, look beyond that and still see the same girl they met back in first year."

'Was that a compliment? No, that was the simple truth…THE SIMPLE TRUTH. I was not being nice…she'll still be the same insufferable mudblood know-it-all,' he thought angrily. This girl, Draco didn't like how he acted around her…the Zabini crisis is dealt with, he can move on and sleep better nights, its over. He can walk away now and never look back, sadly he helped Granger in the process but there are some things that he was just lucky enough to not have ruin his reputation, no one need know ever.

"So you don't see me as some slutty whore? You're not going to rub this all in my face?" Hermione began, as she then seemed to be thinking, "You know, you had warned me about Zabini before didn't you? A day or two before it happened…yet look…you said if I slept with him I'd be a slutty whore, guess that's what I am now then."

Draco clenched his fists, 'She's right, I did warn her…but…I should agree with her just to be an ass right? Yes, let me agree.'

"No you're not," he began, 'Oh shit! No! That came out wrong! Wait I can fix this', he thought frantically as he continued in the same smooth tone, "What he did to you wasn't your fault, now if you had slept with him intentionally like Parkinson, THEN you'd be a slutty whore and I'd have to agree with you…but in this case you're off the hook of that title."

'Bloody fucking hell!' He thought, 'I need to get out of here. Or just get away from her.'

Hermione thought she was dreaming, was Malfoy really saying these rather nice things? He still sounded like Malfoy, his mannerisms where still the same, yet there was something different in him now too.

Hermione then got up, "Guess we should go back in."

She then began walking away but she felt him grab her arm, she turned to find herself looking right into his eyes again, something she both liked and hated, "One thing you have to promise first."

Hermione frowned, "What?"

"Don't tell anyone what I did to Zabini, I can't have such things being said about me," he said.

Hermione sighed, "Yes cause Merlin knows we can't have anything good being said about you Malfoy."

Draco shrugged, "Who said I did anything good?"

"It's midnight! Unmask your partner!" They heard Dumbledore shout from inside the Great Hall.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other, "Guess we should get it over with, just like we did everything else," he replied coolly.

Hermione shrugged, "I guess so."

Draco placed one hand on the bottom of her mask, Hermione's heart began to race a little, Draco hadn't seen her face all night…she rather liked it that way…she didn't really want her mask taken off, but before she knew he used his other hand to pull away the string behind her head. He then gently pulled her mask off…'Granger? No…fucking…way! She's…well…beautiful,' he thought surprised beyond all reason. Now that Draco has seen her face, he appreciated her dress and hair and just everything about her a lot more then he had before, cause when people got right down to it, if an ugly face was plastered onto a pretty dress, you still were left with an ugly face no matter what.

Yet Draco was looking at a very beautiful face, making everything else stand out a whole lot more.

Hermione feeling a bit uneasy about how Draco seemed to be staring at her through his mask she then said, "Alright, my turn."

Draco took in a breath; he didn't want the mask to come off…what else would he have to hide behind?

Hermione gently pushed back his black hood, revealing his platinum blonde hair which fell loose and un-gelled to the sides of his face, making his hair look like he had just gotten out of bed as a few strands of hair fell over his eyes…Hermione thought it looked rather nice natural. Draco grew a bit nervous; the mask would be gone soon. 'Dammit,' He thought.

Hermione then gently placed one hand on the bottom of the mask and she moved the other hand to the back of his head and untied the string, she then gently pulled the mask away, revealing the angelic face of Draco Malfoy.

'He's so handsome…you'd never think someone like him could be.' She thought amazed.

She, like Draco with her, quickly appreciated the rest of him once she remembered the handsome face behind the mask, but beyond the handsome face, Hermione could see deep down a handsome heart…or at least she hoped she did. Not that she would say so…not to him. ********************************************************************

Just then Lavender appeared by the entrance to the great hall.

Hermione and Draco looked her way as she cleared her throat to get their attention, her mask was now off, "You better get in, Dumbledore is going to make an announcement."

Hermione nodded and went to look back at Draco, but he was gone.

Hermione frowned and looked back at Lavender, "Where'd Malfoy go?"

Lavender put on a curious face, "I only saw him for a second, I don't even remember seeing him leave."

Hermione shrugged, "It must be a Slytherin thing."

"Come on Hermione, or you'll miss the announcement."

Hermione walked with Lavender back into the hall, Hermione felt her racing heart slow down a bit, as she casually scanned the hall for a sign of Draco, but she saw him no where.

Lavender and Hermione joined up with Harry, Ron and Ginny as Dumbledore began speaking.

"Tomorrow begins the School Tournament. We will have an opening ceremony, followed by the first event. Your parents have been notified and will be here tomorrow to greet you and watch you; there are five events in the tournament that will last throughout the year. Each round, students will be eliminated until we are down to four students from each house. Only sixth years and up may participate in the Tournament, now go to bed, get plenty of rest for tomorrow will be a long day."

**************************************************************************

Draco heard from nearby the entrance of the hall, 'Just bloody wonderful, father will be here tomorrow. I doubt he'll be here for support,' he thought with absolutely no interest.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, Lavender and Hermione were walking out when suddenly Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar; he got down on his knees and put a hand to his head. Lavender and Ginny knelt beside him, suddenly as Lavender put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder Lavender cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

Hermione and Ron went over to Harry and Lavender.

"What is it?" Rona asked Harry.

"S-scar." Harry seethed.

"Lavender…Lavender, what is it?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Just then Harry's scar stopped hurting and Lavender stopped moaning from her pain.

Several students caught sight of what had happened, including Draco who watched from by the staircase.

"What is going on?" Said McGonagall who came from the great hall.

"Nothing," Harry said immediately as he got up from the floor.

Hermione helped Lavender back up to her feet.

"Nothing? I heard a commotion," McGonagall said looking around at everyone.

Just then Dumbledore came out from the Great Hall and said, "Mr. Potter, Ms. Brown, please come with me to my office."

**************************************************************************

Hermione walked lazily towards her room, thinking about so many things. Her dancing with Malfoy, their conversation, how she was going to look him in the eye now after everything, the whole episode with Lavender and Harry which left everyone in a worried state.

Hermione then went into her room to find that Draco wasn't there.

She then had a desire to open the window, as she did she looked down below towards the lake and saw a tall figure with platinum blonde hair walking by the lake and looking out towards the moon above the mountains.

"Malfoy," she said softly to herself.

Just then she saw him turn around and look right at her with a blank yet intense stare almost as if he had heard her say his name, Hermione didn't budge or move an inch as their eyes locked. She wasn't even really breathing as she looked at the angelic god-like face of perfection as the moonlight cast a blue hew upon it, he then looked away from her and kept walking.

**************************************************************************

A/N: Alright, tomorrow starts the school tournament. Did you guys forget about that? Wouldn't surprise me since I nearly forgot about it too. So, what happened to Harry and Lavender? How will Draco and Hermione be with each other now? Also daddy Lucius is coming! That spells trouble! The love seeds have been planted, now we will get to see them grow, slowly but surely. So please review tell me what you thought about the chapter etc, and I'll review later!

Questions/Comments readers had:

Jenie- The part I had written for a month in the last chapter was the fight scene between Draco and Blaise. I really love that scene, lolz. 

Paranoia-shoujo- There will be increased tension coming now that the tournament is starting; I'm just the type of person who draws things out very slowly.

darnell's daughter- Draco and Hermione never will make out, either they go all the way or no way, lol, j/k. Don't worry, things are coming!

Jo- Your review was awesome. You DID NOT bore me to tears. I really and truly appreciated the time you took to write the review and the things you had to say in it. You really helped me see my fic in a brand new light, I noticed things I never noticed before and thought of things I never thought of before. I really have to thank you for that very insightful review, it meant a lot to me all the things you said and I cannot wait for your next review, to see what new things you have to say. Muchas Gracias (Thank you very much).

And thank you to all the other reviewers, every review means a lot to me! ^_^


	14. Silent Night

A/N: I told you that I would start updating lesser often then usual due to everything that is going on. I didn't expect to be gone this long though, can't promise I never will again though sadly. I must say, I loved all your reviews, they were great, both the constructive ones, the opinionated ones and etc. ^_^

Anyhow, now we get into the part of the fic where the tension comes, not just between Draco and Hermione but with the outsiders such as Lucius and a few others. This is where the main plot of the story starts, took a while…a real long while, lol, wow, I seriously do take time with my work.

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: ::orchestra music begins to play and an ugly snake faced red eyes man sits on a fine leather chair by the fire with a glass of wine in his hands and his legs crossed talking like a normal human being:: Hello, I am Lord Voldemort and you are currently reading one of many versions of the tales of me trying to kill a young boy by the name of Harry Potter. Due keep in mind that the original creator is not this writer ::points to Slytherinz Divaz:: and do keep in mind that I am an actor. I am not truly evil, in fact I spend lots of time making arts and crafts for my fellow MWTKA members (Magic Wizards That Kill Anonymous) also-

Slytherinz Divaz: Voldemort…you're losing focus! *sweatdrops* why do all these disclaimers turn out wrong?

Credits: *BLAH* J.K Rowling *BLAH*.

Thanks too: hpgal186, Leah, Earthako, Arwen1011, Ottawan Angel, goddesskali, CeLeStIaL BeInG, Crazper, HPLunatic, Mila2, hP fAn Fo LyFe, ~*~Lisha~*~, Mercy, DanceChic0869, waiting for my nails to dry, horsekrazy08, Lady Jaessa, Genevieve Jones, Junsui Chikyuu, crazy azn angel, koishii-glory, pril, S.S, sweet-77-thang, Nami1, Jo, Cupidas-arrow, Sila-chan, wildmage101, PinayAko, ICY*COOL, FrozenFlames, rip_curlgirl_13, love2045, SickGirl42, Raye-Rei, Vu, rina, burgundyred, LiLbLuangeL1223, alexandra, bataille.de.dragon, Pannygirl, tom'sgirl4ever, noisyamie, Lavender Brown, Savvy706, Kelli Granger, freyliskat, *emmy*, beebopodiggity, laughter, annonymous, po99gp, Damsel-Of-Distress, random person, Colleen, DayDreamer4495, mesmer, Katie, Tristanlover59…TBD.

Chapter 14: **Silent Night**

Hermione put on her pajamas and brushed her hair for lack of anything better to do. She couldn't fall asleep; the pounding of her heart wouldn't let her. She was feeling a great deal of tension, the only thing bothering her more so was, why was she feeling so tense?

'I refuse to give Malfoy credit for that…though, oh no stop being silly Hermione! You're all worked up over what happened to Harry and Lavender!' she began with a defeated sigh, 'Then again, who am I fooling? Malfoy does deserve some credit for me being like this.'

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Harry and Lavender followed Dumbledore to his office.

Once inside Dumbledore sat at his desk and invited Harry and Lavender to take seats in front of him.

Harry noticed the grave and tired look on Dumbledore's face as he then said, "Why didn't you tell me your scar was troubling you Harry?"

Harry looked down at his hands, "I didn't want to worry anyone."

Dumbledore glanced at Lavender who moved nervously in her chair, he then looked back at Harry, "I understand Harry, but you should know better then anyone that if your scar is hurting you must let someone know."

Harry nodded.

Dumbeldore then glanced over at Lavender, "Now, Ms. Brown, apparently you too were having some sort of problem where you not?"

Lavender gulped, "I don't really know sir."

Dumbledore frowned, "What do you mean?"

"All I did was try and help Harry. When I touched him I felt this sharp pain in my head I think I saw images to, then it just left." Lavender said in a low tone.

"I can see why due to the suddenness of the event you would not think it a problem," he began as he then looked over to Harry, "Harry, have you been feeling Voldemort? Sensing him at all?"

This is what Harry didn't want. Harry had to bring up Voldemort again; he didn't want to think about that bastard again. Yet he knew he had to say something, the truth mainly.

Harry nodded, "Yes sir. I hear him laugh all the time. He's planning something and I fear he's nearly done with his plans."

Dumbledore put the tips of his fingers together and put on a concentrated look, "The time seems right for it, good thing we aren't ill prepared. I would suggest you not worry for the time being Harry, go to bed and rest, tomorrow will be a long day," he said as he then looked over at Lavender, "as for you Ms. Brown…if you encounter anything strange or unusual or if you see or feel anything odd, please, let me know at once."

Lavender nodded.

She and Harry then got up and left.

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Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall came into Dumbeldore's office five minutes after Lavender and Harry left.

"Thank you for coming Professors," Dumbledore said from his chair, "Take a seat."

McGonagall looked distressed and she wasted no time speaking her mind, "So out with it Albus, please. What is happening now?"

Snape glanced at Dumbledore for a reply.

"Harry has been sensing Voldemort again. Apparently Voldemort will rise again soon," he said with a sigh.

"And what of Ms. Brown? What was the matter with her?" McGonagall asked.

"With Ms. Brown a lot is unclear, though I am beginning to think that her fondness for Seers and Aurors didn't spring up from out of nowhere," Dumbledore said as he looked at the two professors through his half-moon spectacles.

"What are you saying?" asked Snape.

"Ms. Brown claims that she put a hand on Harry to help him and when she did she felt a blinding sharp pain in her head and saw some blurred images. When Harry's scar ceased to hurt, Lavender's pain also vanished from what I could see," he replied.

"You don't think Ms. Brown could be-" 

"It is possible Minerva," Dumbledore began, "I cannot rule out the possibility. Though if she had been a bit more specific about her pain and images, perhaps I might be more certain. Though whether she said anything tonight or not, if she is what I think, we'll know soon enough and who knows…perhaps it could prove useful if she is willing to help us."

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Hermione sat at her seat window; she had fallen asleep as her head leaned back against the wall.  As she slept she heard cold demonic laughter and a voice…

'Heeeerrrrrrrmmmmmmiiiiiiiiiiiioooonnnnneeeeeeeeeeee, come out and play Heeerrrrmmmiiiioonneeee,'

Hermione shot up.

"What the bloody-" she began as she caught her breath. She looked around, Draco was still not back, and she looked out the window and saw that he wasn't outside anymore either.

'Bloody nightmares, I should take a Sleep Potion,' she thought to herself as she took one out of her night table draw.

"Bottoms up," she said as she drank the potion.

She immediately got into bed before she passed out on the floor, 'Hope I'm not forgetting any…thing,' she thought as she fell asleep under the covers.

A short while later Draco walked into the room.

He looked at the sleeping figure of Hermione and rolled his eyes, 'All that walking to get her out of my head and for what? To see her here and have her in my bed!'

Draco was too tired to argue, cause what was the bloody point of arguing? Getting a bloody migraine. He hoped in the shower, brushed his teeth put on his black sweat pants and went into bed.

Hermione was dreaming…

She was running through the forbidden forest, deeper and deeper until she tripped over a branch in a clearing with smoky blue fog all around. She looked up and saw a figure approach her, shrouded in black robes and a hood, with a black mask.

_She saw the figure kneel down before her and offer a hand, she took it and he brought her up to her feet. She looked into his eyes, silver eyes._

_"Malfoy?" she whispered._

_The figure placed a finger over her lips and brought her up against a tree._

_She grew slightly frightened but she did not move as the figure brushed his hands along her arms and softly through her hair._

_'Why can't I move? Why am I not afraid?' she thought helplessly, 'Is it cause its Malfoy?'_

_Her curious eyes searched the figure's desperately looking for a reason to pull away, but she couldn't. His touch felt so real, was she really dreaming? The heat growing inside her, was it all just apart of her dream?_

_"W-who are you?" she managed to say._

_The figure stopped caressing her arms and looked at her intently, suddenly the figure's silver eyes changed to a black-brown and Hermione grew afraid._

_"Time to play Hermione," he said in a dark growl._

_"No! Not again, NO!"_

**************************************************************************

Draco's eyes fluttered slightly as he felt a figure squirm beside him, not even beside him, right against him.

'Against me?' he thought suddenly.

Hermione's eyes shot open and she held back her scream of 'no' as she had just recently learned to do. Her heart began to pound again as she felt a hand holding her own followed by an arm over her waist.

'Oh my…w-what?' she thought as she slowly turned her head.

No sooner did she turn her head that Draco opened his tired eyes. They both glanced at each other in both shock and a feeling of discomfort.

"Something tells me you forgot to do something before going to bed Granger," Malfoy said perfectly hiding the thoughts swimming in his head.

Hermione gently pulled her hand away from his as he lifted his arm up over her, "So it would seem," she said hesitantly as she felt the same heat inside her that she had felt in her dream.

'I felt Malfoy touch me as I slept, that's why, everything felt so real in that dream,' she thought.

She looked back at Draco who was looking at her with a blank yet intent stare, "Don't think what I did was intentional," he said casually.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'm not that stupid. Though now I see why I have that wall up in the first place," Hermione said as she went for the wand.

Draco sighed, "Well its nice to know I got you excited without even trying, I'm better then I thought," he said with a satisfied smirk.

Hermione looked puzzled at first but then sunk under the covers when she saw how hard her nipples had become, "Don't flatter yourself."

Draco shrugged still smirking, "No other hand touched you tonight and that's all there is to it."

Hermione put up the wall, "You sound as if you enjoy the fact."

Draco froze, whether Hermione realized it or not, she had managed to ALMOST stump Draco Malfoy, but obviously no such thing has yet to happen.

"Only the deed," he replied in his typical manner that everyone only knew all to well.

Hermione rolled her eyes and desperately tried to fall back to sleep, refusing to succumb to the fact that she actually might've liked the feel of Draco's touch.

Before Hermione could rest, she HAD to ask Draco…

"Malfoy, I know I said I didn't want to know why you beat up Zabini cause of me…but I doubt I could make sense of why you did unless I hear it from you. I won't tell anyone, I know how much your reputation means to you. So could you just tell me…please?"

Draco raised a brow of disbelief up at her, Hermione kept her back to him.

'Should I tell her? Hell, how can I tell her if I don't even really know why I did it, obviously I wasn't bloody thinking, but why say anyway?' he thought.

"Why not just forget it ever happened. Perhaps it was a mistake on my part, if anything I beat on him cause it was years of pent up aggression for all the times he pissed me off," Draco said unsure of his own answer.

"Yet it took news of him raping me to have you beat him?" she said matter-of-factly.

Draco frowned, 'Women,' he thought.

"To put it simply Granger, I don't even rape girls and I particularly try to avoid virgins. So when I hear that a dickless piece of shit like Zabini comes along and rapes a virgin like yourself, it got me mad, so…I beat him. End of story."

Hermione nodded, "Alright then…and thank you also for making the ball rather enjoyable."

Draco looked at her confused, "You really think I did that?"

Hermione shrugged, "It was how you danced."

They were silent after that for the rest of the night.

**************************************************************************

The next morning Hermione was at the table with Ron, Harry and Lavender during breakfast right before the tournament was to start.

"How you feeling Lavie?" Hermione asked concerned.

Lavender shrugged, "Alright I guess. Nothing damaged or broken."

"What I want to know is, what the hell caused you to have pain like that. I mean sure…Harry has strong pain but I doubt it's strong enough to pass on to another person," Ron said trying to be both serious and sarcastic.

Harry sat silently staring into nothing.

Hermione glanced at him and noticed her friend's space out, "Hey Harry."

Harry jumped back to reality and glanced up at Hermione, "You ok?"

Harry nodded, "Yea, just thinking about the tournament."

"Yea, well my bets are on Harry. After all he won the TriWizard Tournament against a bunch of seventh years back in 4th year, I have no doubt he won't win this for Gryffindor. Even though I'll have to get knocked out in the process as long as Gryffindor takes the victory, I'll be happy," Ron said eating some eggs.

"Well that's good to know," Hermione said sarcastically.

"You forget that Cedric could've won that tournament if it weren't for me," Harry replied rather coldly.

"Well no point in dwelling on the past, we have this tournament to think about," Hermione said trying to prevent any future arguments.

**************************************************************************

Dumbledore then walked into the Great Hall and stood at the entrance waiting for everyone to quiet down.

"All seventh and sixth years shall be eligible to participate in this tournament, the first event shall determine who goes on to compete in the following events. Now your parents are outside at the Quidditch pitch waiting for you. You may meet with them briefly before taking your seats whether as a participant or spectator, remember no one is obligated to participate in this tournament. Now go, your parents are waiting for you," he said as he headed out of the Great Hall, followed by all the students who wanted to eagerly see their parents.

"Hope mum didn't bring another sweater like she always does," Ron said as he got up from the table.

"At least you have a mum to make you one," Harry replied as he got up.

Hermione sighed, "Oh enough you two, come let's go outside," she said as she then looked and spotted Malfoy walking towards the door, looking less than thrilled as he passed through the doorway.

'Wonder what's the matter with him?' Hermione thought curiously.

**************************************************************************

Draco walked towards the pitch scanning the crowds, 'Wonder if he was able to come?' he thought briefly.

As he headed towards the pitch entrance he felt a hand on his shoulder and he was pulled back.

He looked around to find the tall cold figure of his father, who was gazing at him with oozing superiority as he always did with those steel gray eyes. Lucius placed the silver skull handle of his walking stick on Draco's shoulder as he tightened his grip on it with his black-leathered gloves. His long silvery blonde hair was tied back with a black tie and his black cape fell over his front.

"Draco, happy to see me?" he asked in his dark monotone voice.

Draco took a hand and swept the tip of his father's walking stick off his shoulder and gazed back at him, "Of course."

Lucius smirked, "I presume you shall be participating in the tournament?"

Draco nodded, "Yes."

Lucius nodded, "I suggest you win. It will look good in the eyes of our Lord. Considering your Quidditch career has gone to the mudbloods and half-breeds," he said with contempt lacing his voice.

Draco raised a brow at him, "I'll win."

"Let's hope so. I will not accept failure again and neither will our Lord."

Draco nodded absently, "Well, anything for him."

Lucius frowned, "Do you mock me?"

Draco was silent.

Lucius glared, and then smacked Draco sending his head flying to the side as well as the rest of him. Draco almost fell to the floor but landed on his knees instead. Draco glared up at Lucius.

"I don't mock you," Draco said as he got up seeming as if he was in no pain.

"I'll hold you to that boy. For if you haven't already guessed, our Lord's time approaches, he is nearly strong enough to face the old fool Dumbledore and be rid of him once and for all. Be sure that your time to receive the Dark Mark draws near and soon you'll be in service to him and make us all proud for once," Lucius said almost threateningly.

Draco merely nodded.

"Now go, and don't embarrass me," Lucius said as he turned from Draco and went inside the pitch to his seat with the other parents.

Draco glared at his father's fleeting figure, "Don't worry father…I won't, but I'm winning this tournament for me and me alone."

**************************************************************************

The Slytherin parents sat together in the east side of the pitch. Lucius took a seat next to Zabini's father.

"Ah, Lucius," said Zabini's father.

Lucius gazed at him, "Zabini."

"Have you seen my son lately?" he asked Lucius in a rather implying tone.

Lucius raised a curious brow, "No, why?"

"Twould seem that someone had a go at him, broke his wand and his nose which only now as been removed of its bandages," he said harshly.

"Oh really? How did that come to pass?" Lucius asked as he watched the students assemble on the field.

"I was hoping you'd tell me Lucius. Rumor has it, it was your son that did that to him. Have anything to say about that?"

That got Lucius's attention, "What? Draco? Don't be ridiculous, why on earth would Draco do a thing like that?"

"I was hoping you tell me? Before I report him to our Lord and tell him that he's nothing but trouble!"

Lucius glared at the man, "You will do no such thing Zabini, I'll handle my son, if he in fact did do what you say I'll take care of it. If I hear that you went to our Lord on the matter to blacken my son's name then I'll do worse to you then my son did to yours."

**************************************************************************

Down below on the field the sixth and seventh years willing to participate assembled on the field and Dumbledore approached them and began to speak.

**************************************************************************

A/N: OoOoOoOoO Lucius knows what Draco did. What do you think will happen when he finds out why? What happened with Lavender when she touched Harry? I dropped hints on that earlier in the chapter. Also next chapter Tonks comes back into the mix, I kind of left her out of the fic but she's coming back. So what can you make of Hermione and Draco's relationship? MUCH MORE Draco and Hermione interaction coming your way SOON! So in the mean time keep leaving your awesome reviews and I'll be posting ASAP! Bye!


	15. In Dreamland

A/N: Hi everyone, I'm so sorry for the four-month delay almost but I had this severe case of writer's block, I mean it was ridiculous as to how bad it was. I honestly didn't know how I was going to piece everything together for as you've all realized I have a lot of things scattered all over the place in this fic and I've only pieced together two or three things if even that many. I hope I haven't made anyone go crazy with anticipation for chapter 15 cause as a reader I know the feeling of frustration when a fic you enjoy is taking your whole life span to update. .

Anyway, I have read all the reviews and I loved them all, both the critical, the complimentary and the usual 'please update soon!', I appreciated them all. I also received a swamp of e-mails requesting updates, I truly am sorry it took me this long, but I also have been rather busy with life in general and things always manage to get in the way of some quiet writing time. Ok well enough of that, chapter 14 was left off in a very interesting situation and to be perfectly honest I don't know what exactly I'm going to do about it just yet . but I'll figure something out, don't I always?

Warning: OotP spoilers from now till the end of the fic!

Disclaimer: ::Mr. Sock peeps his head out of the hamper and looks at readers:: Hey you guys! Pssst! Over here! You see me? Can you hear me now? Great, ok, listen I need to set the record straight, cause me and the guys in the hamper have been talking and to be perfectly honest, Slytherinz_divaz is not worthy to own Harry Potter! That's why she doesn't! She doesn't even treat her own sock with respect, or any of the other guys in the hamper, shoving us and throwing us and-

::Slytherinz_divaz walks into the laundry room:: Talking about me Mr. Sock?

Mr. Sock: No, no, no, no, I was just explaining to all these wonderful people that uh, you…uh, well, you know…you're…

Slytherinz_divaz: That I'm? What?

Mr. Sock: Beautiful!

Slytherinz_divaz: ::narrows eyes at Mr. Sock:: You're a bad liar, and liars must be taught a lesson! I think…you need some quality time with Simba.

Mr. Sock: ::looking mortified:: No! Not that cat!

Slytherinz_divaz: ::grins evilly:: Oh yea! Simba! Hey, Simba! Come here, my precious little kitty!

Mr. Sock: Nooooooooooooooooooooo!

Credits: Credits are soooo boring, I say let's skip'em we all know who the credit belongs to anyway, right guys?

Thanks too: LiLbLueangeL1223, Jo, goddesskali, Nami1, LifeGiving Killer, random person again, Chyld of Black Fire, RivanKnight, sweet-77-thang, Ottawan Angel, Cute-Kitty, Trapt*ROCKS* My World, Earthako, Lyannix Rayne, Savvy706, faerie of the flame, Crazy4wood, Billy~Dracoluver, burgundyred, wildmage101, Icy Spicy Micey, Sellser, wuwuwulililili419, OnlyBeingMe, Jen, noisyamie, Kelli Granger, xxbabysparklesxx, ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs, Genevieve Jones, devotchka92, meggles, Arwen1011, Vu, ToOtHpIcK, Harrypottergirl, SmallTownWitch, aku-neko, Darkening Sky, SeoulSweets, *NeLLy*, me (vivace275@aol.com), Pannygirl, Dannii Malfoy, gryffindor gal, Voronda Wilwarin, Crazper, mesmer, Emerald Flame, Junsui Chikyuu, Natsufan, overXposed, Trixie, ICY*COOL, SodapopC, Mia, sweet-soph, pfannkuchen, Elizabeth, CaNaDiAn CuTiE1, ravenbeaut, Margaret, paprika90, average jane, CK, Kate, rach, Hermione Double, River Moon, someanoyedperson,  snakewise, akiko, Xinh, Colleen, ToMLuVa06, Amber Lee 1, v son sayian, Cho Chang-Emotional Dark Hole, GlueStik, kole17, hunnie angel, Doreyblack, LilSlytherin, lynnz, Lover del Dragon and ANONYMOUS for your awesome reviews!

Chapter 15: **In Dreamland**

Hermione, Ron and Harry were standing together with their fellow Gryffindors as they watched their competition take their places standing beside them in front of Dumbledore. Hermione saw Slytherin house standing on her right and she slyly sneaked a glimpse in that direction and catching a quick glance at Draco who seemed to be looking slightly distracted as if he was thinking of something else besides the tournament…something he seemed to dislike.

Harry glanced over at Hermione, as he noticed her attention was drawn elsewhere he followed the direction of her glance, 'Malfoy? Why would she be looking at Malfoy?'

"Mione," Harry whispered.

Hermione broke her glance from Draco and looked over at Harry, "Yea, Harry?"

"You ok? You seemed a bit distracted."

Hermione put on a meaningless smile to get Harry off her back, "I'm fine Harry, don't worry about me alright?"

Harry nodded, "If you say so."

Dumbledore then raised his arms up and began to speak, "Welcome parents and students to our School Tournament. What we are about to do is have a selection, conducted by our Sorting Hat," Dumbledore began as McGonagall handed the Sorting Hat over to Dumbledore and placed a stool beside him, "One by one each student from each house will be called and the Sorting Hat will determine whether or not you have what it takes to compete in the tournament games. For you see as of right now the tournament has begun and this is the first game, this game is the game of 'Ability' the Sorting Hat sees what no one else can see within us not even ourselves. So let us begin shall we." 

So then it began one by one Dumbledore and McGonagall called up the sixth and seventh years and they all went under the sorting hat, as that was happening Harry and Ron were conversing quietly.

"Harry, already three people for Gryffindor have been selected, and only six people from each house can play…you…you don't think I might not get to compete…do you?" Ron asked worriedly.

Harry looked at him and shrugged, "Why ask? Of course you'll make it Ron, why wouldn't you?"

Ron looked at Harry as if he was joking, "The odds Harry…the odds are against me…and you…but I don't think you count considering you always manage to go against all odds anyway."

Harry smirked, "Thanks Ron."

"Ronald Weasley!" called out Dumbledore.

"You're on mate…go!" Harry said nudging Ron to walk towards the Sorting Hat.

'How nice, like first year all over again,' he thought, as he sat on the stool and the Hat went on top of his head.

After five minutes the Sorting Hat then shouted, "Gryffindor number Four!"

Ron couldn't believe his pink ears, he was selected to compete…he never thought that was going to happen to him, not in a million years. Ron then sat in the fourth seat of the Gryffindor row on the stage that had been set up…he sat with the other three selected Gryffindors, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Three other members from the other houses where sitting on stage with their house row as well, for Ravenclaw there was, Padma Patil, Luna Lovegood and Anthony Goldstein. 

For Hufflepuff there was, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

For Slytherin there was, Millicent Bullstrode, Blaise Zabini and Michelle Blackheart.

Three more people remained for each house and Dumbledore continued to call out names.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile back at Hogwarts Tonks and Hagrid were walking down the hall heading towards the tournament selection.

Tonks was holding a brown pouch and she kept on looking at it every so often as if she didn't like to hold it.

"Oh, Hagrid, must we use this for a tournament? On underage Witches and Wizards?" she asked sounding worried.

Hagrid sighed, "I don' like it any mo' then ye do Tonks, but wha' else can we do? Dumbledore gave us orders an' we got to follow 'em, even if it means usin' wha' yer holdin' righ' now."

Tonks frowned, "What sort of purpose will this play for? To test those that are selected in such a way and what if the one's he truly wishes to test are not even selected, what then?

Hagrid shook his head, "Wish I knew."

Tonks fidgeted with the pouch in her hand, "This could be dangerous, very dangerous."

"I know."

"I'm sorry Hagrid, I shouldn't expect you to give me answers, when you know nothing just like me. It's just that…well…can't there be a better way to test the power of a person?" She asked as they exited the castle and began walking over to the noisy pitch.

"Sounds like everyone's been picked," Hagrid said, "An' don' worry abou' them, they'll be alrigh', if Dumbledore thinks so…then so do I and so should ye."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back at the pitch all 24 participants had been selected, the final teams were as follows:

Gryffindor Team, Ronald Weasely, Dean Thomas, Harry Potter, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Hermione Granger.

Ravenclaw Team, Padma Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Luna Lovegood, Lisa Turpin and Stewart Ackerly.

Hufflepuff Team, Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillan, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchely, Gabriela Garcia and Owen Cauldwell.

Slytherin Team, Millicent Bullstrode, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Malcolm Baddock, Draco Malfoy and Michelle Blackheart.

After they were announced Tonks and Hagrid arrived, "Ah, Professor Tonks, right on time."

Tonks nodded and handed the brown pouch over to Dumbledore, "This, will mark the beginning of the Tournament…one at a time the twenty four finalists shall put their hand inside this pouch and grab the stone inside after that is done, they will be put into a deep slumber where they shall begin the first event."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One by one they all touched the stone and one by one they all fell into a deep slumber, there bodies were made to magically lay in the air.

Hermione felt her eyes flutter and she slowly opened them, at first her vision was extremely blurry, "What happened?" all she heard was silence and the chirping of birds and the sounds of forest animals, "Professor? Harry? Ron?"

Hermione began rubbing her eyes and began focusing her vision, when her vision was clear she looked puzzled at her surroundings, "Where am I?" she said as she saw that she was in some sort of enchanted forest. The trees where tall and green, their branches reached out to other trees and provided a massive lime green canopy above keeping cool shade over the inhabitants of the forest. She felt soft brown earth beneath her and rocks and plants everywhere which shown in the few golden rays of the sun which managed to seep through holes in the leafy canopy above. The air smelled of sweet roses and honey and she saw carpets of multi-colored flowers growing everywhere as she was taking everything in she heard the sound of a galloping creature as she looked up she saw a glowing white Unicorn run by her with its white mane glistening in the sun, running through the snowfall of flower petals of pink and white which constantly seemed to fall from the treetops. She noticed her clothes were changed as well, she was now wearing a beautiful white dress that flowed down to the floor with tints of gold glitter, short sleeves and a square neckline that went just above her breasts outlined in gold, it was a dress for a princess and her hair was straight with a few small braids in it tied with gold lace. She looked lovely.

"This, is a fantasy forest…nowhere does such a beautiful place exist…," she began as she continued awing at the beauty around her, "but why am I here? Is this part of the tournament…to be sent here…perhaps through a dream? Are the others here as well?"

"Do you always think aloud?" came a voice from behind her; Hermione turned around and then saw someone come out from behind a cherry blossom tree.

"I don't believe this…Malfoy!?" Hermione said trying to get a good look at the figure for a few sun rays where behind him making him appear like a shadow.

She saw the shadow stop suddenly, as if he had been startled or shocked by something…Hermione kept trying to see his face.

"Granger?" they said in a rather shocked tone.

"Malfoy? Come closer I can't see your face…wait on second thought stay where you are…I'd rather see nothing." Hermione said as she had her left side facing him.

She heard a dark chuckle come from him and she heard his approaching footsteps, she couldn't help but look his way and when she did it was her turn to freeze.

Draco stepped out of the light and she found him shirtless, wearing snug black leather like pants and nearly knee high black boots. He seemed almost immortal before her, his silver eyes shown like stars and his body shown like a god in the sun's rays strong and invincible. Hermione was left speechless.

You could cut the tension with a knife, Hermione secretly or perhaps not so secretly in awe of Draco and Draco secretly in complete awe of Hermione.

'She's-I can't believe…she's more beautiful then she was at the ball…she looks as fair as the immortal fairies,' he thought; yet suddenly he remembered why he was here, to win a tournament.

"Do you have a staring problem Garnger?" He asked acting as if her appearance had no effect on him.

Hermione suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and narrowed her beautiful brown eyes at him; "Out of twenty four other people most likely in this forest, I have to run into you!  I can't even escape you when I'm dreaming."

Draco glared at her, "Enough…its not like I haven't heard that before, or anything closely related to it. All I want to know is why did I not get a shirt?"

Hermione tried not to blush or stare at Draco's fine toned chest, as he looked up at her he caught her in a stare and smirked, "See something you like do you?"

Hermione's eyes widened in embarrassment and humility and she quickly turned away and started walking.

"Where are you going? You don't know your way around here do you?" Draco yelled out to her.

Hermione stopped and turned to look at him, and yelled back in reply, "I don't care, as long as I can be away from you! Perhaps I'll run into someone I actually can tolerate!"

"I doubt it gets any better around here then me witch! or anywhere else for that matter. Your flushing cheeks proved that!" He yelled back with a satisfied grin.

"You're insufferable Malfoy you know that!?" Hermione yelled as she walked back over to him, till they were merely feet apart, "ever since this school year has started I have had to deal with you more then ever before and I'm tired of having to, right now obviously we're in some sort of dream world or fantasy realm and I do not feel like dealing with you here either!"

"So you think its wiser to go off into an unknown place to look for people who might not even be here?" Draco asked in a monotone voice.

Hermione frowned, "I don't know. But the others have to be here, we all touched that stone and Dumbledore said we would be put into a deep sleep. Right now we're all sleeping and if you and I are in the same dream than I'm sure everyone else is as well."

"Now the only question is, what are we supposed to be doing here?" Draco asked as he looked around at the beautiful forest around them and then back at the beautiful sight of Hermione.

'I could definitely think of a few things I could do here,' he thought with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was now sunset in the real world and Dumbledore and McGonagall were watching over the sleeping students who were levitating in the air peacefully.

"Albus, do you think it is wise to pull off this sort of deception?" she asked worriedly.

Dumbledore sighed, "I can't say Minerva, all I know is that it is one of the last resorts we have. Lying to the parents and students about a Tournament that doesn't even exist all for the purpose of making our side stronger for the upcoming war needed to be done discretely. We have foes amongst the Slytherin parents and students and perhaps other places as well, we can't afford any leaks."

Minerva sighed, "I know Albus, its just such a risk. I mean these twenty four are the strongest students in all Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat knew that…and now we are…I feel like, we're exploiting their powers."

Albus shook his head, "Not at all my dear Professor, all but four of them will fight this war on our side…they need to be ready."

"So what are you having them do right now?" she asked looking at the students.

"I'm having them learn to bring out their true powers. For as you already know Minerva, our true magic comes from our emotions and from our heart when one is young one does not use the magic they naturally have but the magic that they can read, feel and see. The magic they're taught here is all like that, and very few can channel the magic from within…but those who can, can become terribly powerful…our very own Hogwart alumnus Voldemort knew how to channel the magic from his emotions. It made him so powerful, but he channeled the power of his hate and rage turning him evil."

"Who's to say some of these students won't do the same Albus? Especially the Slytherin students." Minerva said worriedly.

"Sometimes you must give a little to get a little," he began as he sat down, "I just wonder how long it'll take them to channel their true power…their real magic. Yet what I wonder more is…when the true test befalls them…will they pass?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ok, I hope you guys aren't mad that I ended it there, but this chapter was a set up for the following chapter…you'll see in the next chapter lol. Ok so the whole Tournament is a big hoax *dum dum dum* lolz Dumbledore is a very very sneaky man. So we now know why it's a hoax, but the question now is…what lies ahead for everyone in the dream world? Especially for Draco and Hermione, jungle fever? Lolz who knows *evil grin* lovey dovey coming up sooooooo soon *squeals* much better then a bed I have planned lmao, ok so please write whatever comment you wish, I love to hear from you guys and hopefully I wont take so long to update next time! Ok bye bye!


	16. Inner Demons

A/N: I have no time to explain why it has been 20,000 yrs since my last update, all I can mainly say is, I went away, I'm in college and fic writing took a VERY far backseat in my life. I can hardly believe I still get reviews since it's been so long and to be dead honest because of that I decided to find it in me to keep going. So thank the people who kept reviewing for me continuing with this fic lol!!!

Disclaimer: Since I have been away for so long, Draco shall now perform the sexy dance for all of you!!!!…once I see where he ran off too…dammit!

Credits: J.K Rowling, for the 16th freakin time!

Thanks too: WAY TOO MANY!!!! I CAN'T DO IT THIS CHAPTER!!!! Next chapter I'll do my 'thank you' again.

Chapter 16: **Inner Demons**

Dumbledore was in his office watching the sleeping students outside from his window; they were protected by a force field to shield them from any danger or weather. Professor McGonagall came strolling in…

"How are they?" she asked looking towards the window.

"As to be expected…still sleeping."

She sighed tiredly, "What are they doing in that dream world they were sent to?"

"Right now Minerva they should be starting their tests."

McGonagall raised a brow, "Care to explain?"

Harry found himself in front of his old house, it was dark outside and he could see the lights on inside.

"My…old house?" Harry whispered in amazement.

He suddenly heard the sound of something breaking, followed buy the scream of a woman. Harry's heart began to race and he immediately reacted and ran towards the front door.

* * *

Dumbledore: Each one of those students will be going through tests based upon things they need to face head on, overcome their demons…

* * *

Hermione and Draco began walking side by side as dusk had fallen upon them. Suddenly a large fire emerged from the center of a clearing a few feet from them.

"What is that?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"I don't know, I doubt anything good," Draco replied gazing at the self-burning fire.

* * *

Dumbledore: The students need to overcome anything they feel is holding them back in the real world. If what is holding them back is themselves, they must learn to let themselves follow their instincts, their feelings, their desires…for that is where their true power lies…if that is their weakness that will be their test.

* * *

Lavender found herself by a cliff over looking an ocean, in front of her by the edge was a black velvet sheet for her to sit upon; as she sat down, four small self burning flames surrounded her.

"What's going on?" she said afraid to even move.

"Concentrate Lavender…feel the elements around you, feel their power, seek their timeless wisdom…embrace it without fear and let yourself become who you are destined to be," came a voice in the wind.

Lavender looked around to find no one, "I don't understand…please, what do you mean?"

"Channel your power, take in the power around you. Use the elements, take what they offer you, learn what they can teach you," replied the gentle voice in the wind.

"How do I do that?" Lavender asked.

"Close your eyes and concentrate."

Lavender closed her eyes.

* * *

Dumbledore: Unlocking their true potential, finding within themselves powers they never knew they possessed, powers that will help them be great. They must learn to believe in themselves and what they are capable of; there is no room or time left for doubt…everything must be clear and exposed to them.

* * *

Harry opened the door and saw green flashing lights coming from upstairs, "James, the baby!!!!!" he heard a woman cry out, "James no!!!"

Harry reached the top of the stairs and when he came to the first door he saw a figure cloaked in black with a black mask on and hood. Harry also saw a red haired, green-eyed woman holding a small baby with black hair and green eyes. Harry was looking at himself the night Voldemort killed his family.

"It can't be," said Harry.

* * *

Dumbledore: Whatever test they need to pass, once they have finished they will one by one awaken, with whatever new power and knowledge they gained with them.

* * *

Draco and Hermione gazed at the flames almost as if hypnotized suddenly gold dust sprang up from the flies and danced in the air surrounding the two of them.

"What sort of magic is this?" Hermione asked bewildered.

"Not the sort I meddle with," Draco replied trying to avoid contact with the gold dust.

Suddenly some of the dust turned black and fell upon Draco, the remaining dust turned silver and fell on Hermione. The two of them fell to the floor; within a short while Draco began to stir and when he opened his eyes they were black. Hermione stirred and slowly awoke; she turned over to see Draco, "Malfoy?…what's wrong with your eyes?"

Suddenly a low beastly growl came out of Draco's mouth and when doing that he flashed a new pair of canine fangs at her.

Draco felt like he had lost his humanity, he felt as if he had none. All he had it seemed was an evil demon and he could feel the hate that demon felt towards Hermione.

Hermione felt a new overwhelming compassion, as if she couldn't do any wrong as if she didn't need magic to solve anything or to hurt anyone. She didn't feel in complete control of her body, she felt like something else was inside her, some spirit of love or good.

_Kill the girl; she represents everything we hate._

**_What does killing her get me?_**

_It gets you power; she's a strong force of good. Mmm can't you just taste her? Rip her apart! destroy her! She'll destroy you if you don't act now!_

**_Yes…wait…no…urg…!_**

_You are EVIL! Evil courses through your veins, it is in your heart, it is in your soul and thanks to me…its completely dominating your mind and senses. You cannot fight me away, embrace who and what you are._

**_What am I?_**

_You are pure evil, a powerful being who will do great things for the dark side of our world. The magical world will fear you! You will reign over all! Voldemort will cower before you and shall fear your name like everyone else! The powers of darkness shall be your scepter and the powers of good shall be your slaves and you will kill all who dare defy you! Kill all who can stop you from being great! Kill the girl!_

**_…I…_**

_WHY DO YOU HESITATE YOU FOOL!_

Hermione gazed as she saw Draco with his onyx eyes looking at her with rage and evil, his growls grew louder and more deadly…she saw him talk back to a voice it seemed only Draco could hear.

_Hermione help him._

**_Who are you?_**

_I'm apart of you now. You must help him. Evil corrupts him. You must save him, lead him away from the path he is being forced to follow._

**_I know the path he is supposed to follow…why help him? I should just kill him._**

_No! That is not your way Hermione! I know you do not have the heart to kill him. You do not wish to kill him, do you?_

**_He looks ready to kill me._**

_He's trying to kill you, but he's also trying to stop himself for the time being._

**_Stop himself?_**

_He doesn't know what he wants. But I know you know what you want, you want to help him if you can. It is in your power to help him, reach out to him. You do not need magic to stop him._

Draco looked like he was having a war within himself…

_Kill the girl!!! DO IT! DO IT NOW!_

**_I do what I please! Not what others tell me!_**

_If you listen to me, you won't ever have to do what daddy says ever again! You will follow no one, be your own king!_

_Suddenly everything was silent, that struck a nerve and Draco growled and gazed intently at Hermione._

_Yes Draco…do it!_

**_I follow no one!_**

Draco slowly started walking towards Hermione like a panther towards its prey, slowly and with cunning.

_Kill her, hurry and kill her!_

* * *

Harry watched in horror at the scene of his life that gave him infamy, Voldemort turned slowly to face Harry, "Choose wisely Harry…the life of your mother and your infant self, or try to be the brave hero and go after me in which you'll fail and ultimately perish along with your mother."

"I…will kill you," Harry said darkly.

Voldemort laughed venomously, "Stop making me laugh. You can't do so much as lay a scratch on me boy. Now, do realize, try and kill me and you kill your mother and the baby."

"I don't die," Harry said gripping his wand tighter.

"Oh but anything goes here Harry, what happened in the past of the real world means nothing here…you can very easily die here."

Harry didn't understand; why would Dumbledore put him in such danger without any clue or warning? Harry couldn't believe that he was facing the past he had never remembered, the night of legend, the night he was orphaned. He gazed at his mother in terrible fear; she gazed at Harry pleadingly, as if she knew he could help her somehow.

"What's it to be then Harry?" Voldemort asked, seeming to enjoy every minute of the situation.

* * *

Draco was now dangerously close to Hermione.

Hermione gazed at him as his naked chest glowed tan like from the light of the flames, his black eyes burned with a dark passion, concealing what he was thinking.

_Tasty little thing…if she was on our side I'd say take her for your queen, she'd be lovely to have for yourself every night._

Draco froze; suddenly he had flashbacks from the first night school started this year, when he and Hermione shared a bed for the first time. He then had memories from when they taught sex ed. Together; another memory came to him from when he beat up Zabini for her. Draco put a hand to his head as if the memories were hurting him. He then remembered the night of the ball and when he danced with Hermione and the last memory he had was when they were in each other's arms that same night when Hermione forgot to put the wall up.

**_Her…in my arms._**

_No, Draco do not listen to your emotions they will lead you astray! Listen to me! Follow what I say!_

The demon in hold of Draco began inflicting the Cruciatus Curse on Draco and he screamed in pain, Hermione was allowed nothing but to watch despite how badly she wanted to run to him.

_Watch Hermione, my compassion must wait._

"Get out of me!" Draco shouted in pain.

_Kill her and I end it Draco, go on and do it! Follow what I say!_

Again Draco remembered the feeling of holding Hermione in his arms that night and for some reason it kept blocking out the pain the demon tried to inflict upon him. He glared up at Hermione and slowly got up to his feet…

"I follow no one demon."

Draco walked in front of Hermione and as he looked at her his memories of holding her became more real and more intense and he felt he had to have her to satisfy all of him otherwise he'd lose himself.

Hermione looked up at Draco, _Help him Hermione_.

* * *

McGonagall: I have faith they shall do the right thing.

* * *

Hermione raised her had gently against Draco's cheek and caressed it softly, Draco closed his eyes and took her hand and with a low and dark voice that was straining to be in control he said, "Your mine now."

He then grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard against him and their lips met immediately as their tongues began to play with a passion beyond either of their control and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

* * *

I hope the next chapter comes sooner then this one did! Keep the comments/reviews coming! Thank you!


	17. Kissed by the Moon, Loved by the Fire

A/N: sweatdrops yea, uh, hi hehe…very long time no see folks I'm very sorry about that, you see, college started 2 yrs ago and working and responsibilities like bills and rent and all that good shizzle that makes the world go round and gives me one headache after another…anyway…uh…I deeply apologize for the most insane delay in ficdom EVER! To anyone who is still even reading this fic know this…I LOVE YOU! I heard that my story got very famous and I wanted so much to update it but things just kept getting in the way and it has taken a back seat so far back it took 2 yrs to get to so on that note…thank you so much for the support, the two yrs of unending support (correction) and I hope that you can forgive me, I honestly didn't know where to go from where I left off cause, it was kind of crazy lolz but its ok cause now…I'm pretty much going to be making this chapter up as I go along just because, I feel so terrible about making all the loyal fans wait so insanely long, very sorry about that again folks anyway, if anyone ever wishes to contact me I have a MySpace and you can reach me there…

MySpace URL: No, I do not own Harry Potter cause if I did the books would never get finished lolz…oh god I'm so terrible .

Thanks Too: Ok let's be real about this one folks…I cant get all the names of everyone who reviewed the last chapter in the past 2 yrs, it would just take too long and unfortunately I don't have that kind of time so….um, thank you everyone! And perhaps if I don't take a trillion years to update again I'll be able to get everyone's names next time around k? If you don't like it, sucks for you! Lolz

**Chapter 17**: Kissed by the Moon, Loved by the Fire

Tonks walked the grounds, ready to stand guard of the sleeping students, she fairly estimated they should awaken by dawn the latest. Her instincts were telling her that there was something very odd about the whole game Dumbledore was setting up, she knew the man would never do anything without sufficient reason and/or purpose but what really got beneath her skin was, why? Why is he doing it all? What will happen because of it?

Pondering the many insanities her mind was concocting she dosed in and out of consciousness till she put a Waking Spell on herself; her long chocolaty hair flowing in waves behind her as her emerald green eyes pierced through the creamy clouds and into the heart of the moon…how many more nights until it is all over? How many more nights till it all begins?

Suddenly she was broken out of her thoughts as Ron fell to the floor and broke out into a series of coughs. Tonks rushed over to his aid, suddenly several other students within the next fifteen minutes or so fell out of there sleep to the ground. Within a few minutes professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid and Snape were out by the students…all the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students had arisen…for Gryffindor Dean, Parvati and Ron were awake and for Slytherin all but Draco had arisen.

Dumbledore then walked over to the students, "Professors please escort your students to their common rooms and see that they be fed and given a good nights rest…" he began then with a fixing of his half-moon spectacles he said, "and for the students, you will not say anything about what you saw in your dreams to anyone outside of this tournament…or outside your own Houses, understood?"

The students looked tired, some looked wide wake, some looked slightly spooked while others looked confused and shaken. Dumbledore knew that his plan had worked, the effects of awakening such great power in a young witch or wizard can be a very overwhelming ordeal but he knew that he would never give the students anything they couldn't handle themselves. As the professors began to take the students away, Dumbledore called out to one student in particular, "Mr. Weasely?" Ron looked back, "A word if you please, I excuse you from your group."

Ron looked at his fellow classmates and then walked back over to Dumbledore, "Yes sir?"

Dumbledore conjured two chairs for them to sit on, and he sat himself down, "Mr. Weasely…how are you feeling my boy?

Ron looked at the chair and slowly sat down, he then looked up at his friends who were still sleeping, Harry, Hermione, Lavender…then there was Draco still asleep. Ron sighed and spoke still looking towards his friends, "I feel something I cant seem to explain. To be honest nothing made much sense in the beginning…nothing makes much sense now. I cant put into words so much what or how I feel except that I don't understand it either, but its definitely something I've never felt before sir."

Dumbledore conjured a pipe and nodded with a comforting grin, "All things come in time Mr. Weasely…all things come in time."

"Harry, Hermione, Lavender…even Malfoy…why are they still sleeping?" Ron asked curiously with a hint of worry lacing his voice.

"I half expected them to still be up there, even you…I'm rather amazed you came out of your dream so quickly…I wouldn't know what to make of it as of yet. As for them…there are bigger things going on inside of them that you and I could never imagine. Just like there were things going on within you that I nor anyone else could ever understand because it is part of you…conquering yourself and what makes you weak and strong is one of the hardest things in the world; not meant for the weak of heart," Dumbledore glanced over at Ron with a smile, "And a strong heart you have my boy…one of the strongest I know."

Hermione felt her eyes flutter and her body stir, she suddenly froze as she felt a soft and warm body beside her. She opened her eyes to find the naked form of Draco laying beside her…eyes closed sleeping like an angel. She then realized she herself was naked, she glanced at her surroundings…still in the forest…still in a dream land. She then blushed furiously as she remembered the events of earlier.

She and Draco engaged in a kiss that ignited a passion she had never felt before in all her life. The touch of his lips on hers, the gentle feel of his tongue playing with hers, the sudden urge she felt to have him deep inside her.

She smiled as she began to remember more…

Draco had ripped her dress off in one slash, as he pulled her by the waist and pressed his pounding manhood against her wet softness. Smelling her scent, tasting her skin, her lips, feeling her curves touching and tasting the tenderness of her breasts. Grinning in satisfaction as Hermione arched her back in pleasure allowing him to do more of the same to her, he then slowly laid her down on the ground…his eyes burning, his groin pounding, his hands learning every inch of her body. Hermione could only lay and enjoy everything he was doing to her, one of her fondest moments was when he got his fill of her womanhood, she came to realize Draco had a greedy tongue and hungry lips. It wasn't long before she felt ready to fly to the heavens, Draco then pulled away and slowly crawled on top of her…Hermione felt her body aching for him, she slid her hands slowly up his chiseled arms caressing his neck, sliding her hands down over his firm chest, she then locked her arms around his and pulled him closer to her. Their lips met and their kiss was deep, matching each others likeness, Hermione stroked Draco's hair softly as he moaned, for Hermione realized the tip of Draco's groin was against her delicate softness which was wet with an excruciating desire to have him enter her. Draco slowly slid himself inside of her and Hermione felt her body shiver, Draco felt ready to explode inside her but stopped himself, he wasn't going to be satisfied until he satisfied his woman first. The strides were slow at first, as they kissed and joined hands, Draco began quickening the pace as Hermione caught his rhythm almost immediately. The feel of her tight walls and warm wetness was becoming almost unbearable to refrain from spilling inside her, but he was determined to have her show how much she wanted him, enjoyed him, the pounding of her inner walls expressed the desire she had for him and it excited him and quickened him even more. They exchanged more soft kisses as there wet bodies moved as one under the light of the moon by the golden blaze of the fire beside them, making their bodies glow with an orange fade. After what seemed like an eternity Hermione felt herself go, a huge release of pleasure made her feel something she had never felt before and she loved it. Draco followed, releasing his seed inside her and gently laying on top of Hermione, with the satisfaction of getting what he wanted done with perfect restrain. Hermione put her arms around him and kissed his forehead gently as they laid there in silence, exhaustion and a new found….hmm…exactly what new feeling was there? Could it be? Draco moved himself behind Hermione and pulled her close to him.

"Your mine now woman," he growled softly in her ear.

Hermione shivered in delight at the sound of what he said, and turned to face him and without saying a word she placed her lips softly on his. Their hearts never felt so full as they did now.

As Ron was near falling asleep and Dumbledore as well…a loud thud brought them back to their senses. As they looked ahead they saw Harry, Lavender, Hermione and Draco on the floor slowly stirring as they were being brought back to their senses. Once they all stood up, Dumbeldore approached them and said… "Well, then…pleasant dreams?"

Yea, oh yea, I did it, I said I wasn't going to in this fic but I wouldn't be me if I left it out that for damn sure lolz…well I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter…let me know and tell your friends who read this fic that its back in business! Love ya all and thanks for the unending support. It keeps me from not abandoning this fic…please be honest in your comments/reviews as always!


	18. Hate is Love

**A/N: **I must confess, I thought I had abandoned this fic, however, every time I have a peaceful moment to sit and do whatever I want I go back to fan fiction and I reread this fic over and over. Every time I get to the last chapter and finish it I'm like 'shit' I really should've written more. So, hell, I am the author of this story, I have the power to continue this fic…I have tons of fans of this fic asking constantly for updates…so why not?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything of Harry Potter! Mr. Sock is my witness! Unfortunately due to my anger management issues Mr. Sock has suffered a few holes to the head so, he will not be with us for the next few chapters…my apologies to his fans…yes…even Mr. Sock had a fan base.

**Credits: **J.K. Rowling, the richest woman in Britain and possibly the world!

**Chapter 18: **Hate is Love

Harry, Hermione, Lavender and Draco slowly got up from the ground wiping the dirt off their robes. Harry looked at Dumbledore, he was angry, "Professor…what the hell was that!?"

Everyone turned to look at Harry and then at Dumbledore. Dumbledore let out a sigh, "A test."

"Test?" replied Harry curiously.

"It's late, off to your rooms all of you." Dumbledore said as he began to walk back towards the castle.

Ron glanced at his friends, he saw that Harry looked a bit shaken and Lavender look very tired, however he couldn't help but notice how silent Hermione and Draco were and the unsure looks they had on their faces.

"I'd been out of my sleep for a while now, never thought you guys would wake up." Ron said as he walked over to his friends.

"I'm glad I did, that was worse than any nightmare I've ever had." Harry said as he began walking with Ron towards the castle.

"Mine was no nightmare at all. It was all rather bizarre, I was on a cliff and I had to call upon the elements to help me unlock some power." Lavender said walking along side Harry and Ron.

Harry then looked back to find Draco and Hermione still standing in the same place, looking at anything but eachother.

"Hermione…you alright?" Harry asked.

Hermione quickly glanced over at Harry clearing her throat, "Fine, yes, I'm fine…" she began as she glanced over at Draco one more time, "Let's go."

Hermione then joined her friends and walked back to the castle, she took one more glance back at Draco who was gazing intently upon her, but he still did not move.

Hermione was pacing back and forth in her room. She had already had on her purple tank and grey sweat pajamas and she was a complete frantic mess.

_Malfoy and I…did we really? I mean it was just a dream, a very intense dream but a dream nonetheless. Who's to say we shared that dream at all. He might've had a completely different dream. Oh, but who am I fooling…he looked like he was feeling the exact same way as me out on the field. His eyes…they said everything mine were saying. Everything. _

Just then the door burst open, Hermione whirled around and saw Draco walk in. He closed the door and without saying a word walked straight into the bathroom. Hermione let out the breath of air she had held in and she sat on the window seat and looked out onto the moonlight playing along the surface of the black lake.

_He didn't even look at me. Perhaps its better that he not look at me just yet for every time I look at him I just feel what I felt in that forest…I can't even explain what it is I felt for him then all I know is I still feel it now and I don't know why. Oh god I wish it would go away, please Merlin make it go away._

"Make what go away?"

Hermione jumped up from her seat, "I didn't say anything."

Draco looked at her in disbelief, "I just heard you. You asked Merlin to make something go away."

"But I didn't…I just…" Hermione paused in terror.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I just thought it."

"No, you said it, I heard you clearly." He said sternly.

Hermione shook her head, "No…I thought it…I was saying it in my head…I never said a word of it out loud."

_Bloody hell. _Draco thought to himself.

"Oh my," Hermione began and Draco glanced at her with a quizzical brow, "I just heard you."

"I didn't say anything." He replied.

"No, but you thought it…I just heard you. You said bloody hell."

_Shit._ He thought.

"I just heard that too!" She said pointing at him.

"No way, no fucking way!" he began angrily, "How could this have happened? How can we be hearing each other's thoughts?"

Hermione shook her head, "I'm not sure. This just started tonight, before we went into the dream forest we were normal…but now…"

"Then I didn't just dream it alone?" Draco asked.

Hermione looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"

"That enchanted forest, the fire, that demon that possessed me and…me…and…you." He said hesitantly as if afraid to say more.

"Your eyes, they had turned pure black and your voice wasn't yours, it was dark and beastly…" Hermione said in a voice just above a whisper.

"It wanted me to claim you and kill you." He said in a voice that gave no emotion away.

Hermione nodded, "You looked like you were in a lot of pain, fighting a deep struggle," she began, she then looked into Draco's silver eyes and she was relieved to know they were his eyes and not the eyes of some beast out for her blood, "you won I would imagine."

Draco sighed as he swept a hand through his hair. The truth of the matter was he only won cause of Hermione's touch. Her touch drove the demon out of him. What he couldn't put together however was…why did her touch save him? Why did he even want to be touched by her? In that forest, in the heat of the fire under the mystical moonlight something broke down in Draco. He wanted Hermione, all the feelings he allowed himself to feel for her were unleashed. Nothing and no one was stopping him from having what he wanted, not even himself for the first time in his life. In that forest, nothing mattered cause there was nothing to get in the way and he never felt anything like what he felt once he had her in his embrace.

"I'm not sure who won. I was being forced to kill you and you're still alive so…"

"Yes, but it was just a dream." Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

"Was it?"

An awkward silence fell over them.

_You felt so real. More real than any dream. _Hermione thought.

Draco sighed, "So did you," he began softly, but quickly changed his tone, "but now I hear your thoughts and you hear mine. This cannot stay this way. We have to make it stop."

"You can't share thoughts with a nasty mudblood like me." Hermione said sadly.

Draco frowned, he couldn't figure why she would sound sad about it.

_Don't feel sad about it. _He thought.

Hermione looked at him curiously, "Why would you think that?"

Draco cursed under his breath, he's going to have to be careful of what he thought about from now on around her, "We…," he began unsure of what to say. Truth was, he cared for her, more than he ever would've wanted to he realized that in the forest, but he knew…this could not be…this could never be.

"We hate each other…we always have…and we always will." He replied angrily as he sat on the edge of the bed, he had on his black tank top and black sweats.

"We only hate those who have managed to get close enough to us to touch our hearts." Hermione replied shakily.

Draco looked at her with an intensity he had only shown Hermione once before in the forest, "Then I think I will have to hate you more than ever."

"So shall I."

**A/N: **So, yea, that chapter turned out better for than expected, I hope you all enjoyed it, I'm really going to work on finishing this fic up. The real intensity is just around the corner. Please review and let me know what you all think! Right now, I'm working on the next chapter!


	19. Sins of the Flesh

A/N: Well another chapter is up and ready, hopefully I can keep working at this pace and finish this story up soon! Please spread the word of its return to fanfiction! And dedicated readers just keep reading and reviewing cause reviews are so encouraging and motivating!

Credits: J.K. Rowling, and if you don't know this by now, you're a dumbass! Seriously.

Chapter 19: **Sins of the Flesh**

Lavender, Ginny and Parvati were up as Lavender was telling Ginny and Parvati about her dream.

"So what do you think it all meant Lavender? What was that voice in the wind trying to tell you?"

Lavender brushed aside her long brown hair over her shoulder and shrugged, "I wish I knew. It's all very strange and odd isn't it."

"Well how did it end Lavender?" asked Parvati.

"Well, I just had closed my eyes on the edge of the cliff and I remembered what the elements give us…what their powers are. You see fire gives us warmth, water gives life, earth gives shelter and the wind sustains the other three elements. When I finally understood that, I felt it," she said excitedly.

"Felt what?" asked Ginny.

"The fifth element," replied Lavender.

Parvati and Ginny grew wide-eyed, "What's the fifth element?"

"The spirit," Lavender began, "the spirit is the source of magic, good and evil, love, hope, fear…everything we carry inside us. It's what makes us who we are, it brings out our true nature."

Lavender's eyes began to sadden, Ginny then walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on Lavender's shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Suddenly Lavender gasped and her eyes shut tight, "Lavender?" Parvati said racing to Lavender's other side.

When Lavender finally opened her eyes she looked at Ginny, "Oh, Ginny, I just saw something."

"What did you see?" asked Ginny.

"Your future."

Draco and Hermione were in a locked gaze that not even an apocalypse could break.

"We can't just sit here and look at each other all night," Draco said as he laid back on the bed.

Hermione bit her lip and sat at the edge of the bed beside Draco, "There is one thing," Hermione began as she too laid back on the bed beside Draco, "the demon that possessed you…wanted you to kill me, right?"

"Yes," he replied sounding tired.

"When you began walking towards me," Hermione began as a knot formed in her stomach, little did she know Draco was getting one in his too at the thought of the memory Hermione was reliving, "I thought you were going to kill me but you didn't really want to kill me, did you?"

Draco sighed, "You ask too many bloody questions. What does it matter?" he said turning his head to look at Hermione who to him would now always look beautiful in his eyes, but he could never say so for both their sakes.

"Instead of trying to kill me, you kissed me," she said biting her lip again nervously.

"Must you relive it?" He said in a frustrating mumble.

"You kissed me as if you would never have a second chance to do so, as if it was something you wanted to do a million times before and never could."

_Somehow I think that's the truth of it._ He thought softly.

_I know, I felt it. _She thought back.

"But we can never kiss again, nor touch nor…"

"Love?" Hermione said finishing the sentence she knew Draco might've never finished.

"Is that what we did? You think we loved in that forest?" he asked.

"Do you?" she replied back.

Draco was getting frustrated beyond reason. How was he supposed to try and let what happened go if she keeps on talking more and more about it?

"Enough! Whether we loved or not, who knows…it was one time!" he began angrily as he got up from the bed and began walking around as he continued, "Why did I kiss you? Cause I could! I was able and I wanted to! Why did I want to? Cause…I knew no one could stop me and…"

_You made me feel something I have never felt before about anyone. _He thought, for saying it aloud just wasn't something he felt he could do.

Hermione knew what he meant. She kissed him back cause she wanted to, cause she could. There were no witnesses, no one to object and stand in the way. For reasons she couldn't explain, ever since the ball, she has felt something deep inside herself for the handsome Slytherin standing before her. She too had meant to suppress her feelings and she was managing it well, but that kiss they shared, that first real kiss opened up Pandora's Box and there was no closing it. Both she and Draco could not undo what has been done and honestly she didn't want to try to undo it.

_I must be completely mental._ She thought to herself.

"Why?" he asked aloud.

"I want you to kiss me again Draco."

Draco's heart dropped, that was the first time she had ever said his name and he had to admit, it sounded very good to him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, he both loved it and hated it.

"Say I want to kiss you right now and have my way with you again right now more than anything I ever wanted, what would it all be for? You and I will one day be fighting on opposite sides, you and I have been destined to kill each other since our first year in this school. Why make the inevitable any more difficult?" He said leaning against the wall arms crossed.

"Is the future really written in stone? Or do we just carry the stone tablets bending over backwards so they don't fall and break in fear of then not knowing what is to come next? Having no more direction. Having to think for ourselves." Hermione said crisply.

"I'd find it hard to believe it was already written in my future that I was to be with you. That was in no one's plans, especially my own." Draco retorted.

"It wasn't in mine either believe me. Yet here is the honest problem, when the time came, could and would you really kill me?" Hermione asked standing up to face Draco.

Draco was silent, he couldn't even stand to look at Hermione. He'd rather punch a whole in the wall than answer. So that's what he decided to do.

"Why'd you-" Hermione began, but Draco interrupted her.

"Quiet! Just…don't say anymore."

"It's a stone wall."

Draco's knuckles were bleeding, Hermione went to reach out but Draco pulled away, "I know what it is. Just leave it alone. I'm going to bed."

Draco walked by Hermione quickly and sat on his side of the bed. He can't have her touch him. He'll lose his bearings if she did and then lord knows what would happen. He may have a strong will but he is still just a man, who happens to want the one woman he cant have, who just so happens to sleep in the same bed with him. Her skin on his will undo him, that's all it'll take, for he was rejecting her by hanging onto no more then a thread.

Hermione slowly slipped below her covers. Draco did the same, both of them silent and both of them wanting. But they knew, ultimately they knew their new feelings for each other would have to remain just that, feelings.

That night Hermione tossed and turned as she heard a voice in her head.

_**Show him compassion Hermione, love him, that is how you shall save him.**_

_But I can't. He and I can never be._

_**I have not yet left you Hermione for I knew you would fear to show him compassion again.**_

_What? You're the spirit that entered my body in the forest. How come you have not left me yet when I no longer am dreaming?_

_**I exist beyond the dream plain. I exist in all plains. **_

_I cannot do what you ask._

_**But you want to do it Hermione. I feel your desire for him. Your love.**_

_I do not love him, I cannot!_

_**But you do. That will not change just cause you wish it so.**_

_Please, don't convince me otherwise._

_**It's not convincing you need Hermione.**_

_What do you mean?_

_**You need to let yourself go again like you did in the forest. Touch him because you can, kiss him because you can, love him…because you can.**_

_This was not meant to be._

_**Says who?**_

_Draco is right. We will fight against each other one day, why love the enemy? It will only bring misery._

_**Misery is something you bring upon yourself willingly. Besides, you already love him and he you. You are just both too proud to do anything more about it. If neither of you give in, you will both fall. Fear is a very powerful emotion, but it can be overpowered. Love him Hermione, touch him.**_

Hermione's heart began to race as she felt Draco stir, she grabbed her wand from her night table and silently removed the invisible wall. Draco turned over and Hermione could now see his face. She saw him so differently now. She wanted him. For the reasons she thought were right, she would've walked away from him, but if spirits are pushing her to not walk away, then perhaps…there must be a very important reason to not give up.

With a brave sigh, Hermione moved her hand over his hair and pushed back his bangs away from his face. She felt him stir underneath her touch and her heart jumped in her throat. She then passed her hand over his shoulder and down his arm, feeling the strength of his muscles, the softness of his skin, the warmth of his body. She was so lost in her senses that she didn't even realize Draco was awake and looking right at her.

Suddenly his hand grabbed her wrist and she looked into his eyes unable to speak for her pulse was too quick now.

"Don't even think of running now."

Hermione smirked, "Who said anything about running?"

Draco chuckled, he then raised himself up so he could look straight into Hermione's eyes, he gently raised a hand to her face, and leaned into her and placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips. He then pulled away a bit and said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Hermione asked in a low voice.

"For touching me."

A/N: Woot! Yay another chapter down! Please read and review! Please keep on reading and reviewing! Thanks for all your dedication!


	20. Ring around the Office

A/N: Thanks all you lovely readers out there for all your awesome reviews! I must say, I'm going through a rough patch in my life and writing this story is my way of escaping reality. I must confess that a lot of what is going on in my own life might accidentally be incorporated into this fic and hell, it might give it an even more powerful punch! Knock you all out lolz j/p…eh…then again…I don't know, my life for the past year has been something out of the movies anyway so who knows. Enough of that shit, let's move on to the good stuff, Draco and Hermione! Yea, it took almost twenty chapters, but it did finally happen, lucky them.

Credits: Well, J.K. Rowling, the billionaire blondie that I envy like crazy!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Well, I own nothing of Harry Potter unfortunately and that is a sad truth.

Chapter 20: **Ring around the Office**

Lavender walked slowly through the corridor towards Dumbledore's office. She had remembered his explicit instructions, "_as for you Ms. Brown…if you encounter anything strange or unusual or if you see or feel anything odd, please, let me know at once."_

Well unusual would definitely describe a bit of what had just recently happened. She saw the future, Ginny's future. She had finally made it up to Dumbledore's office, but she did not know the password.

"Dammit, what was the password," she said absently as she placed a hand on the stone phoenix that lead the way up to his office. As her skin touched the cold stone of the phoenix she saw a vision in her head of Dumbledore saying the password, "Pumpkin pastry?" she repeated.

With that the spiral staircase began to move and Lavender jumped onto the staircase. Dumbledore was in the middle of retracting a memory from his mind and dipping it into his pensieve when Lavender entered.

Lavender seemed to have a semi surprised look upon her face as she slowly entered the office, "Ah Ms. Brown."

"Good evening Professor, I'm sorry to be coming here so late but you did say that if I ever felt or saw anything unusual that I should come see you."

"Of course, please, have a seat." Dumbledore said motioning to the seat in front of his desk as he took a seat behind his desk.

Lavender sat down feeling a bit uneasy, she didn't understand why she could suddenly do all these strange things she could never do before. One minute she was normal, or as normal as being a witch can dictate. Now, she felt slightly past that perception of normal.

"Professor," Lavender began hesitantly, "Tonight, while I was talking with Ginny Weasely…I saw the future."

Dumbledore's face did not give away any reaction, he remained completely blank, "By all means Ms. Brown, please explain."

"We were talking and Ginny she was comforting me, I was feeling tired and worn, she placed a comforting hand on mine and then it happened, I saw the future. Her future."

Dumbledore placed his fingertips together and leaned back in his seat, gazing intently at Lavender through his half-moon spectacles, he had been hoping this would happen. Seems as though so far, his plan was working, "What did you see in her future?"

Dumbledore was taken aback the minute he saw Lavender begin to cry. Lavender tried to stop, but the tears kept coming, she finally managed the strength to speak, "I saw, so many things, but it was the last thing I saw that was truly horrible."

Dumbledore didn't know what to say as Lavender began to cry again, she tried to make it a silent cry, she tried to wipe the oncoming tears, but more just kept coming. Lavender couldn't even look at Dumbledore straight in the eye anymore, "What was it? What was the last thing you saw Ms. Brown?"

Lavender sniffled, "Ginny…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…he…he killed her."

"Ms. Brown, are you absolutely certain that is what you saw?"

Lavender nodded as she grabbed a tissue from Dumbledore's desk, "He killed her to get Harry to face him, used her as bait I suppose."

"Why would Voldemort think Ginny would be good bait to lure Harry to him? Why not Ms. Granger or Mr. Weasely?" Dumbledore began as he proceeded to concentrate, he then looked back up, "Ms. Brown, do you know if Ms. Weasely and Mr. Potter care for one another?"

Lavender frowned as if trying to remember was almost difficult, "He did ask Ginny to go to the ball with him. They seemed to have had a really good time there together."

"Do you know anything else?"

Lavender shook her head, "No professor. I do believe however that they do like each other, it is a bit obvious in some ways."

"I must ask you to not tell anyone else about what you saw until the time is right Ms. Brown it is very important."

"Alright professor. But I must ask you, why is this happening to me? Why can I see these things?" Lavender asked drying her eyes.

"What else have you seen?" he asked.

"I saw the past I think as well."

Dumbledore nodded lightly, "That's how you managed to get into my office without me having told you the password."

Lavender raised a quizzical brow up at him, "You knew?"

Dumbledore sighed, "I imagined this might happen, yes."

"How?"

"Your dream. Whatever it is you dreamed, unlocked your hidden power. You have the gift of premonition and foresight. I knew it was no coincidence that you loved Divination class so much." Dumbledore said with a chuckle.

"But my dream was-"

Dumbledore quickly raised a hand up to silence her, "Do not tell me. What you dreamt was for your knowledge alone. If others were meant to know, you would've shared the dream with them. The important thing to know is, what the end result was…you my dear are a Seer."

Lavender could almost not believe her own ears. She was a Seer. She had always wished she could be one and now, now she finally was one. But did she want to be one anymore? If being a Seer meant that she would see her friends being killed…then maybe it wouldn't be such a good thing.

"Professor, what about Ginny? Since it hasn't happened yet, we must try to stop it."

Dumbledore nodded, "We will do our best to do so. You Ms. Brown have a very special gift. There are not that many Seers in the world, you will be a very great help. You can save many lives and ultimately help determine the outcome of the war. Who will win and who will die."

Lavender swallowed the massive lump that had formed in her throat, "I'm scared professor, I don't think I can do this."

"You can do this and you will do everything you can to save your friends when the time comes. Fear can be controlled and easily overpowered if you face it head on with the right intentions."

Lavender took a deep breath and nodded, "I will do my best to save my friends."

"I know," Dumbledore said as he then headed over to his pensieve and began retracting another memory, after dipping it into the silver swirls he said, "Go to bed Ms. Brown and remember all we have said, you mustn't tell anyone you are a Seer for their sakes and your own. If word got out that we have a gifted Seer in Hogwarts, Voldemort will try to find you."

Lavender felt herself grow pale, "Would he try to kill me?"

Dumbledore sighed, "Forgive me. I know this must be a lot of information to take in all at once but knowing Voldemort, he may either kill you, or keep you for his own personal use. The advantage he would gain over us if he had a Seer on his side, would mean almost certain death for us."

"He has no Seer?" she asked fearfully.

"I told you Ms. Brown, Seers are very rare and ones that remember everything they see like yourself are even rarer still. Tell no one what you are."

Lavender nodded, "I won't tell a soul Professor."

Dumbledore nodded, "Off to bed now and thank you for letting me know what has happened. If you see anything else inform me immediately."

Harry was furious. The dream he had was infuriating. He couldn't sleep, he had to go see Dumbledore. He had to understand why he had that dream and why once he had made a decision in his head his dream ended. He didn't even get to see what his decision would have resulted in.

So Harry made his way towards Dumbledore's office. On his way there he saw Lavender, her eyes were pink and moist and she looked pale.

"Lavender, you alright?" he asked as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Lavender nodded, "I'm fine Harry," she began as she quickly sniffled, "what are you doing here?"

Harry looked around, "I'm going to see Dumbledore. I need to ask him something? So what are you doing out here?"

Lavender almost couldn't think up something to say, "Had to stop over at the Hospital wing. I had a splitting headache."

"You well now? You look like you had more happen to you than a headache."

Lavender shook her head, "No no, I'm fine, promise."

"Alright then, see you later, you sure you're fine?"

"Yes Harry, I'm fine, see you tomorrow." Lavender said quickly as she scurried down the hall towards Gryffindor Tower, "Oh and the password is Pumpkin Pastry!" she hollered from down the hall.

Harry entered Dumbledore's office and took a seat, "Ah, Harry, how may I help you?"

"I think you already know Professor. You know what I dreamt about don't you."

"I assure you Harry, I know nothing about your dream and I must insist you do not tell me."

Harry's brow furrowed, "Why not?"

"What you and your friends dreamt about is completely private. You mustn't tell anyone, not even me."

"But I don't understand it, it was horrible."

"But you dreamt it for a reason Harry, something will come from it and in time you will know why."

"Why is this happening Professor?" Harry asked with a defeated sigh.

"Time will tell of that I have no doubt."

"I want to know now!" Harry shouted and with that everything in the room flew off into a dozen directions and crashed into the walls.

Dumbledore was needless to say a bit shocked, "Harry?"

Harry was breathing heavy as he looked around wide-eyed at what he had just unknowingly done, "Did I just do that?"

"It would seem so Harry."

"But I didn't use my wand."

"No, you used something far more powerful than a wand Harry, you used your emotions." Dumbledore replied.

"I don't understand. How can this be?" Harry asked sternly.

"Perhaps that dream you had-"

"That test? You called it a test, that dream was a test of what exactly?" Harry asked.

"A test to see if you could unlock your hidden gifts. The gifts that are locked away deep within all of us. Only a rare few can tap into that power. Your dream showed you the barrier you needed to breach in order to claim your powers. You succeeded."

"I jumped," Harry began as he starred off into nothing, "Voldemort went to kill my mother and my baby self again. I couldn't see it happen again, so I jumped in the way. The Killing Curse hit me instead and I awoke."

"I told you not to tell me Harry."

"I-I couldn't keep it a secret, it was awful."

"Well, Harry, make sure you tell no one about your dream or your new power. Keep it secret for as long as you can. When the time comes all will be revealed for the better." Dumbledore said with a reassuring glance.

Harry nodded.

"Now go to bed Harry, you need rest."

With that Harry left Dumbledore's office and headed back to his room.

Hermione and Draco laid together feeling something neither of them had ever felt before. Everything they just shared was even better than before and was definitely not a dream.

"I'm afraid if I close my eyes I'll wake up to find this all a dream," Hermione said snuggling closer into Draco's embrace.

Draco sighed, "This was definitely not a dream."

Hermione glanced up at him, "No one can know, can they?"

Draco shook his head, "No one must know, ever."

"This is unfair."

"I told you this from the beginning. We cannot change our destiny, yes I…"

"Love me?" Hermione finished.

Draco smirked, "I still have trouble saying it…eventually I'll be able to say it, trust me."

"I know. Hopefully you can say it before one of us dies."

They were silent.

_I wish things could be different. That we could love each other without consequence. To not have to answer to anyone, but who are we to be able to change the way things are? We were born into this mess. _Draco thought.

_I don't believe in Destiny. I believe if you want something bad enough…you try everything in your power to get it and keep it._ Hermione replied through her thoughts.

_It exists. Destiny, fate, it all exists. I tried to fight you, but something greater than you or me made damn sure that we joined together. _Draco thought.

"We can walk away. Try to leave something we either want or don't want behind because we feel we have to. The reality of it is, whatever you try to walk away from, if it is meant for you it will find you again. Some things that make no sense to us, make perfect sense to destiny and to fate." Draco said.

"I didn't know you felt that way. So here we are, we thought we were never supposed to love each other, I guess destiny or fate or both disagreed with us. I wonder why." Hermione said solemnly.

"As do I. I would've turned my back on you if you would've let me. However, I am glad you did not." Draco said as he laid a gentle kiss on Hermione's forehead.

"Tomorrow, we have to go start pretending now. To hate each other," Hermione said sounding a tiny bit sad.

Draco shrugged, "We have to. Let's just take this, for whatever it is…our days we will spend hating each other but our nights…now that's a very different scenario," Draco said as he positioned himself above Hermione.

Hermione giggled, "The night isn't over yet is it?"

Draco glanced over at the window, "Not till I say it is," he said as he leaned down and gave Hermione a kiss that brought with it all the feelings Draco carried inside him. All the love he had for her was unleashed in that kiss. Hermione's heart was pounding and full of a love she never knew she'd ever feel.

The next morning Draco and Hermione exited their room. They'd agreed to continue to have things be as they were before they gave in to each other. They knew for both their sakes no one could know about their love, the consequences were to unclear and would most likely be very dangerous for at least Draco.

_Last night was amazing, I want every night to be like that._ Hermione thought trying to a hide a smirk.

_No no, the nights will only get better from here, trust me on that._ He replied through his thoughts.

Just then Professor McGonagall approached the two lovers, "Good morning you two. Mr. Malfoy, your father is here to see you. He's waiting for you in Professor Dumbledore's office."

Draco's brow furrowed, "My father? For what Professor?"

"I don't know exactly. You best go and see for yourself." She replied as she motioned for him to be on his way.

"See you later Granger," he replied nonchalantly as he and McGonagall walked towards Professor Dumbledore's office.

Hermione bit her lip nervously, "Please let everything be alright," she said to herself in a voice just above a whisper.

Draco entered Dumbledore's office and saw his father standing by Dumbledore's desk black cane in hand like always.

"Mr. Malfoy. Your father would like a word with you. Excuse me," Dumbledore said as he exited his office leaving Draco and Lucius alone.

Draco looked at his father with a blank stare, "This is a surprise."

Lucius smirked, but his face quickly changed to a angry expression, "Indeed, surprises are following me around everywhere too."

Draco had a confused look on his face. He had no idea what his father could've been talking about, "I don't understand."

"Did you or did you not attack Blaise Zabini?"

Draco's stomach rose up into his throat, but he refused to show fear, Blaise got exactly what he deserved. Unfortunately he could never tell his father as to why.

"If I did?" Draco replied cooly.

Lucius shook his head, "You idiot," Lucius said as he gave Draco a punch to the face, "You want to risk your reputation with the Dark Lord?"

Draco hadn't even been knocked down by the blow, but it had hurt like a bitch. He turned his head slowly to face his father, he did not say a word.

"Why did you attack him Draco? What made you do it?" Lucius asked venomously.

Draco's eyes must have burned with rage for his father seemed to be taken aback by the stare for a second, "He tried to be better than me. He insulted my name."

Lucius raised a curious brow, "How so?"

Draco couldn't think. Blaise tried to give Draco credit for him being able to rape Hermione. It infuriated him beyond reason, now more so than ever, but his father could not be told the truth. What lie was there to tell?

A/N: Ok people don't hate me, killer cliffy I know I know, but hey I live off this shit lol. So anyway I'm hoping you all enjoyed that chapter. See how everything is starting to come together? The purpose of the dreams? Draco beating on Zabini. It's all coming together, and even more stuff will come together soon enough. Oh and yes yes Draco and Hermione are officially a couple…in secret of course but a couple nonetheless. Ha ha! Gotta love it!


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